Two Marvelous
by Harry50
Summary: After his 18th birthday, Harry discovers he has some more living relatives, including twin girl cousins. These serve to push him into turning his relations with Hermione to a higher level.
1. Chapter 1 Twins

**Two Marvelous…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the recognizable characters, though I wish I did. They are all property of J.K. Rowling and her business associates, except for the characters I invented.**

**Chapter 1: 2.8.98**

Harry was sitting on the couch, looking at the envelopes in front of him and thinking of how he happened to come there.

_He spent a few days at Hogwarts, helping McGonagall restore the school and prepare for the funerals. He then participated in each and every funeral for the fallen, feeling it was his duty to those who gave their lives for him to win. He then joined the Weasleys, who tried very hard to make him feel welcome, despite mourning Fred._

_Yet he didn't feel he belonged there anymore. His relations with Ginny became awkward. She was trying to act as if they were still lovers, but he couldn't pretend that nothing had changed during their year apart. They both changed. Harry had gone from a school boy to a clandestine runaway, a leader and a war hero. Ginny had turned into a beautiful and confident young woman and had gone through quite a lot at school, during the Carrows' reign there. None of them was the same person they had been before._

_When Hermione left to fetch her parents – alone, as she had insisted – Harry decided to move to Grimmauld Place. Kreacher – now fiercely loyal to Harry – did a marvelous job at renovating the old house and making it a place where Harry could spend his time leisurely, chat with some friends, read some books or simply relax._

_He was preparing for visiting the Burrow for his eighteenth birthday when the owl with the Gringotts crest brought him a letter: __"We have been informed that there is another inheritance for you. It is a muggle one and could not be brought to your attention before you came of age, which means reaching eighteen in the muggle world. You are kindly requested to fix a meeting with the attorney who is handling this case, whose business card is attached. We are also glad to wish you luck, happiness and prosperity for your birthday."_

_Harry took the business card. He found a nearby phone booth and contacted the attorney, fixing a meeting for the next day, before apparating to the Burrow and forgetting about it for the day._

_He met the attorney the next day, learning about a nice sum of money waiting for him in a muggle bank and receiving the key to a house – both inherited from his Evans grandparents. __"We have bought the house on 4, Privet drive for Petunia, so we are leaving our house for Lilly and her children."_

_It took him a few days to come to terms with this. His grandparents had died in a mysterious car crash while his parents were already in hiding. His parents couldn't attend the funeral, which didn't help the relations with his aunt. They never had a chance to learn about this inheritance, having been murdered only a few months later._

_Eventually, he decided to check that house – the house where his mother and her sister had spent their childhood. He used muggle transportation to get there. The taxi brought him in front of a small house, quite similar to the ones on Privet Drive, which was surrounded by a medium-height hedge and had a well kept lawn and garden. Harry was almost sure it was a mistake, that either it was the wrong address or somebody was already living in that house. Yet the gate sported the name "__**Evans**__"._

There were three envelopes on the coffee table. One was addressed to "**Mr. Harry Potter**", another had just "Harry Potter" scribbled on it, yet the third… It was just "_to Harry_", but the handwriting was one he had known for years, one that had usually meant a list of chores for him, yet one that was the closest person he had for ten years. He couldn't help but open it first.

"_Dear Harry,_

_Yes, I know you have never heard me say these words, although I was aching to say them. You know how Vernon is – he would have kicked us both out of his house had I shown any sympathy towards you, and besides – Professor Dumbledore had made me vow on my life to never show you any positive feelings until you fulfilled the prophecy – kill that murderer or be killed trying._

_I know you managed to complete your mission – the ones we were staying with since your seventeenth birthday told us so. I just wanted to hug you and kiss you and thank you for saving us from this nightmare, but I didn't know how to find you and you wouldn't have believed me. Yet, even Vernon is not so venomous towards you when your name comes up in a conversation and Dudley – he feels like he owes you more than his life. He has been exercising daily since our hiding (well, with no TV and no Internet he had little else to do…) and is now a very trim and muscular young man, no longer the fatty he used to be, although Vernon liked him better that way._

_I know this house would mean a lot to you. Your mother's room used to be the one whose windows point to the east. Lilly loved to be awakened by the first rays of the sun. It is still painted in light orange, with some red and yellow trimming. I know these were her house colors at Hogwarts and yours as well._

_This is now your house. I hope you keep it and raise a happy family in it, as you certainly deserve. We made sure that the house and the surrounding garden were well kept. You can move in whenever you wish, and I hope it would be soon. You may have noticed that this place is not too far from Privet Drive – less than an hour's ride. I know you have no fond memories of that place, but once you move in I will gladly come to visit you and tell you all that I had to withhold before._

_I hope you forgive me,_

_With a lot of love,_

_Your aunt, Petunia._

Harry blinked his eyes, trying to keep them dry. How much he used to wish his aunt would love him or would just show him kindness… It was all Dumbledore's plan: make him desperate so he would not have any ties which might stop him from doing his ultimate task – kill Voldemort and be killed in the process. Well, he didn't follow the old man's plan. He survived, and he was going to live his life fully, if only for those who had given their lives for his cause.

He then looked at the other envelopes, trying to guess who might have sent them.

He suddenly heard the door open. His wand came into his hand immediately, pointing at the entrance hall. It was a reflex he could not yet get rid of. He heard some giggling and then he saw two girls coming in, carrying some shopping bags. They noted him as well.

"Hi, you must be Harry," one of them said, putting her bag down.

Harry tried hiding his wand.

"You don't need to hide that wand. I'm Iris Evans, and this is my twin sister Daphne," the girl said, extending her hand.

Harry took the offered hand. "Evans?" he asked bewilderedly.

"Oh, yes. Don't you know? Our father is your mother's elder brother. Half-brother, actually."

"Half-brother?" Harry mumbled.

"Are you always so eloquent?" teased him Daphne.

Harry looked at them they were both slim and trim, with long, straight brown hair, light brown eyes, and well tanned arms and legs. Iris was wearing tight yellow shorts and a sleeveless blouse which only reached under her chest, leaving her belly exposed. Daphne was wearing a sky-blue miniskirt and her chest was covered with a piece of cloth so small that it could hardly be called a shirt. They were both beautiful and so similar that he couldn't really tell them apart.

Iris sat down, still holding his hand, while Daphne took her place on the other side.

"Well, Harry, your grandfather had been married to another woman before marrying your grandmother. He even had a son with that woman – our father – John. The two families were not in good relations, as you might expect. Our grandmother didn't want anything to do with the woman who "stole her husband" as she used to say, although grandfather had divorced her a year before he even met your grandmother, and she didn't want anything to do with his previous wife. Yet grandpa loved his son no less than he loved his daughters. He bought a nice house for Dad, shortly before his marriage, and another one for Aunt Petunia, when she got married. He left this house to Lilly, knowing she had no real need for it. The Potters were a very rich family, as you must know."

"I've never known she had a brother…" mumbled Harry.

Daphne was speaking now. "Well, Dad is not your normal run-off-the mill kind of person. He is an intellectual – he was a professor of Medieval History at Oxford and is now spending most of his time in Paris as a painter. He has never divorced Mum…"

"…but is now living with his boyfriend," Iris said.

"I can see why Petunia wouldn't like him…" said Harry.

"It's not so much Aunt Petunia…"

"…as it is Uncle Vernon. You seem to know him…"

"Oh, I know him just too well," replied Harry, wondering if all twins were talking the same way, continuing each-other's sentences.

Iris glanced at the abandoned shopping bags. "We should put things in the refrigerator…"

"…unless we want to drink hot ice-cream."

"I'll help you," Harry offered, as the three of them went into the kitchen.

"Why are you here, actually?" Harry asked, once they finished unpacking.

"Oh, father thought it would be nice to have the house ready for you, everything clean and fresh and the kitchen well equipped for preparing meals."

"That's really nice of him…"

"He's always like that. He cares a lot…"

"…but has others do his work for him."

The two girls looked so fresh and happy. Harry thought they were about sixteen years old, yet they came there driving a car, as affirmed by the car he saw parked in front of the house. "How old are you?" he asked.

"Don't you know it's impolite to ask a lady of her age?" they giggled, "but as we are no ladies, that is alright. We are twenty years old. We are both students at an engineering college. I'm studying construction engineering…"

"…and I'm studying architecture. I'm also working part time as a model"

"A nude model, and I take her place when she is too busy."

Both girls giggled as Harry blushed.

"Oh, you've found the letters," noted Iris. She picked one of the closed envelopes. "This one's from Dad. Don't you like to read it?"

Harry took the envelope and started opening it. He heard one girl saying "It's just too hot today", and the other replying "Then we must do something about it…"

The girls went into the kitchen and Harry started reading.

"_Dear Harry,_

_I've only seen you once, as a tiny baby with green eyes, similar to your mother's, and a black tuft of hair, like your father's. I had no chance to meet you again before your parents died. I don't know the details, but I'm sure it had to do with that horrible war that took place within the magical world at that time. Your parents were magical, as I hope you already know, and they believed you were magical as well. As your aunt Petunia has told me, they were probably right._

_I could not keep in touch with you during the time you stayed with the Dursleys. I've never been a welcome guest there, even less than your parents. I was 'the black sheep" in the family, or maybe the pink one, as I like to play both teams, if you get my intention._

_I've learned through Petunia that you have passed a great ordeal, having to destroy the monster who murdered your parents, but you survived it and are ready to continue with your life._

_I've been informed by my parents' attorney that you are going to receive your inheritance soon, so I'm writing to you in hope that this will help you reestablish your family connections._

_I have a son, about ten years older than you, who lives in Canada and two twin daughters, abut two years your senior, whom I hope you would meet soon. They may need a brotherly advice and you may benefit having elder sisters, sort of._

_I'll be glad if you come and visit me in Paris. I've written my address at the end of the letter, so you may take just that piece of paper when you need it. I'll be back in England for Christmas and I hope to meet you then, if we can't make it earlier. My daughters will be in contact with you about the details._

_Love, your uncle John.__"_

Harry lifted his head from the paper only to choke at seeing the twins returning. While he was reading, they have taken off their clothes, staying in their thong panties only.

"Don't you like a cold drink?" one asked, handing him a tall glass of lemonade with an ice cube floating on it.

"Thanks," he managed to mumble, his eyes bulging out at the view and his body feeling suddenly hot – too hot for comfort.

The girls sat down on both sides of Harry, making him feel even hotter.

"Don't you want to get more comfortable?" one of them asked, pointing at his clothes.

"No, I'm fine," he said, feeling anything but.

"So, you're a wizard, aren't you?" one asked in a conversational tone.

Harry was unsure how to answer. Besides being distracted by their almost total nudity, he didn't know how much they knew and how much was safe for him to tell.

"You don't have to worry. We know your parents were wizards and were killed by a dark wizard while you survived…"

"… and we know you had to fight him again quite recently…"

"…and you have obviously survived, as you are here," they concluded.

"Then – what do you want me to tell you?" he asked.

"Oh, just the interesting details, like…"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Do the magical girls have anything to offer that we don't…"

"Or are they just as weird as us?" they ended with a giggle.

"Oh, you are more beautiful and are certainly showing… more skin than most witches I've ever seen," he said, feeling himself getting hotter.

"What about a girlfriend?" one of them reminded him.

"I…"

He was saved by the doorbell, reminding him that he had called Hermione as soon as he arrived there, wanting her opinion about everything, as usual.


	2. Chapter 2 Parents

**Two Marvelous…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the recognizable characters, though I wish I did. They are all property of J.K. Rowling and her business associates, except for the characters I invented.**

**Chapter 2: **

Harry was saved by the doorbell, reminding him that he had called Hermione as soon as he arrived there, wanting her opinion about everything, as usual.

The girls scrambled unceremoniously to the kitchen, to put their clothes on, and Harry stepped to the door, wand at ready.

"Hi, Hermione, I'm so glad you could come," he greeted his friend, kissing her cheek.

Hermione blushed at his touch. "What did you need me here for?" she asked.

"You know I need your advice for practically everything," he said and noted her eyes drifting to the kitchen door.

"Who are these?" she asked, quite alarmed.

Harry grabbed her hand and walked towards the twins. "Hermione, these are Iris and Daphne Evans, my cousins of which I knew nothing until today."

The girls giggled. "He got us wrong. I'm Daphne…"

"… and I'm Iris," they said, extending their hands.

"I'm Hermione Granger, Harry's friend from school," said Hermione, shaking hands with the twins.

"Are your parents dentists?" Iris asked, while Daphne noted "Then you must be a witch, aren't you?"

Hermione herself could hardly refrain from giggling when hearing the twins. "Positive for both," she said.

"None of you looks any different from other people," Iris noted.

"Why should we?" shrugged Hermione. "We are just people having a rare talent. Why should we look any different than composers, singers or painters? They also have rare talents."

"I know," said Daphne. "Our father is a painter…"

"…and a fag," added Iris.

"Are you always talking that way?" asked Hermione in an exasperated tone.

"Only when we are both…"

"…together…"

"…in the same room."

Hermione looked at Harry and they both started laughing madly.

"Hey, what's so funny?" asked Iris, quite confused.

Harry sobered first. "We had some good friends, twins, who used to talk just like that."

"Why in the past tense?"

"One of them died in battle. We were both witnesses…"

"Oh, I'm sorry…" one of the twins said.

"And so am I. Were you close to them?" the other added.

Harry sighed. "I've known them for almost seven years and I've come to love them like brothers…" His eyes became teary.

"How is the remaining twin getting over?" asked Iris, quite concerned.

"Not very well. He doesn't talk much, but I can imagine he is feeling as if a part of himself is missing. They were extremely close to each other." Harry failed to notice the glace the twins exchanged.

"Well, what did you want me here for? It wasn't for company, as you have more than enough, I can see," Hermione said, trying to break the mood.

Daphne eyed her suspiciously and Harry answered. "I didn't expect any company, but I wanted you to see the house along with me, read the letters and advise me how to proceed."

Iris looked at Daphne before talking. "You two go ahead. Check the house and the backyard. We shall make lunch for all of us. Any special requests?"

"Surprise us!" said Hermione, grabbing Harry's hand.

They sat down on the couch. Harry gave Hermione the letters from his Aunt and his new-found uncle, while he opened the third letter. This one was from the bank, detailing the accounts and the sums of money in them and urging him to set an appointment for receiving the full report and getting full possession of the accounts. He also showed this letter to Hermione.

"It looks like you are quite well-off in the muggle world as well," she commented dryly. "What are you going to do about your aunt?"

"I don't really know. I probably need to write some kind of response, but I'm at loss what to write. I'm not even sure how I feel about it…"

"You don't have to answer right now. Let it simmer a few more days, try to find out how you really feel about her and then you will be ready to write it down," Hermione suggested. "Do you intend to visit this uncle of yours?"

"I first have to learn some more about him and his children…"

"You seem to be getting along quite well with these two," noted Hermione.

"Well… They are really nice," he said, blushing deeply. "Let's take a tour in the house," he added, trying to change the subject.

Hermione followed him, keeping her amusement at his reaction well hidden.

The house wasn't big. It contained a nice living room, a modest dining room and the kitchen downstairs, while the upper floor held the master bedroom and three rather small rooms, two of which had been clearly used as his mother's and aunt's rooms while they were living there, and the last seemed to be a seldom used guestroom. They were all clean and ready for use, which looked quite odd, considering the house had been unused for about two decades.

They also visited the backyard, in which they found a small swimming pool at the center of the lawn and some trees surrounding it with a few flower beds in-between. All in all it looked like a very nice house for a small family.

It was a really hot day. Both Harry and Hermione were sweating profusely when they returned inside.

"Oh, here you are!" they heard one of the twins as they entered. They could hardly see her when coming from the sunlit backyard into the dark interior. "I suggest you take a shower and then join us in the dining room. Dress lightly, like we do…"

It took them another moment to see what she was referring to. Iris (or was it Daphne?) was only wearing her thong, nothing else. Hermione looked at her in shock, while Harry felt the heat rising in his body. He turned around as quickly as he could.

Harry used the bathroom connected to Lilly's bedroom and let Hermione use the one in the master bedroom. He wasn't sure what to put on after showering, as his shirt was still very damp. He stayed in his shorts quite reluctantly, wondering if he shouldn't use some magic to create new clothes for himself.

"Are you ready?" he heard Hermione's voice from the door.

He turned around and was surprised to see Hermione wearing just a thong as well. It was not the first time he saw her in underwear – living several months with her in a cramped tent gave him more than one occasion for that – but he had never seen her without her bra and she had never stood in front of him so… exposed.

Harry looked at her appreciatively. "You're… magnificent!" he finally said.

"You are not bad yourself," she answered, her face as red as a rose. "Shall we join your cousins?"

Harry felt very awkward in the company of these three lovely ladies. He could hardly look at any of them without feeling his body react in ways he considered improper under the circumstances. He could hardly concentrate on his food, although Hermione and the twins chatted freely. Being so preoccupied, he didn't notice the way Hermione was looking at him, nor the way the twins were giggling at the sight.

Daphne looked at her watch. "Oh, we must be going. We have some work to do someplace else. Will you excuse us for not helping you with the dishes?"

"You have been of great help to me," answered Harry. "When may I see you again?"

"This is your house now, your home – if you want it to be. You may invite us whenever you want. Our visit cards are near the phone."

They put on their clothes, waved goodbye and left, still giggling.

"Aren't they funny?" asked Hermione after hearing the car leave.

"They really are, yet they make me feel... weird," answered Harry.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I've never seen anybody as free with their body as these two are."

"And you really enjoyed looking at them. Didn't you?"

Harry's face turned pink. "Well, of course. I'm still a hormonal teenager, although I must say that I enjoyed looking at you even more."

It was Hermione's turn to go pink.

"This is really the first time I'm like that in company, you should know. I just couldn't let them make a coward out of me."

"Now, now… Nobody can call you a coward after what you went through."

"Maybe not, but do they know? And then… this is a different kind of courage I needed here. No heroism, no self-sacrifice, no speed and agility with my spells. I needed to show myself naked, or almost naked. I could not have done it with anybody else but you." Her face turned redder.

"I thought you and Ron…"

"There's nothing between me and Ron. There probably never was. I had a crush on him during our sixth year and he had the same at another time. That's all it was, that's all it will ever be."

"But he kissed you before the battle. I saw it!"

"So what? It was just the excitement of the battle and the wish to feel alive. He would have kissed anybody, even you, and so would I."

"You really wanted to kiss me?"

"Who else would I kiss? Aren't you the one I stuck to during all our adventures, through all those perils? Didn't I stay at your side when nobody else would?" Hermione got some tears in her eyes.

"Don't cry, please," he said, wiping her tears with his thumbs. His hand brushed her breast involuntarily and they both froze for a moment. "Hermione?" he asked.

"Yes…"

"May I kiss you?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

Their lips met reluctantly at first, just brushing tentatively against each other, and then it was as if the flood gates had opened. They were kissing and hugging as if their life depended on it. Their bare chests were brushing against each other, making their kisses even more enthusiastic. Her hands went to his waist band, removing his boxers while he removed the tiny thong. They didn't need any words to understand each other perfectly.

"Hermione?"

The sun was already setting. They were cuddling on the sofa. Her eyes were still closed.

"Hermione?" he tried again.

"Mmmm…" came a sleepy response.

"Aren't your parents expecting you home for dinner?"

She opened her eyes lazily. "Probably. Why?"

"It's getting late, love."

She looked at him with a glazed look. "How have you just called me?"

"I just called you the way I feel. I called you 'love'. Don't you like it?"

"Don't I like it? I adore it!" she said, kissing his lips fleetingly.

It took her another minute to come back to her senses. "So, we need to get dressed… well, after a quick shower and…Oh, my God! We haven't used a contraceptive spell! I must be out of my mind…"

"That's OK, love. You shouldn't bother about it."

"But what if I get pr…"

Harry stopped her ranting with a kiss. "Then we shall marry sooner than planned."

His answer turned her silent for a moment. Harry used the opportunity to press ahead. "Do you think your parents will mind if I join you for dinner?"

"I'll call them and make sure," she said, walking towards the phone on the small table in the corner.

It took them only a few more minutes to tidy up, get dressed and apparate to the Granger residence.

The Grangers treated Harry as an old friend, despite having seen him only a few times and for only a few moments each time. "Any friend of Hermione is welcome in our house," they stated. Dinner proved to be quite pleasant, with insignificant chat around the table. Once it was over, Hermione helped her mother with the dishes (making Harry remember the dishes they had left in his new house) while the men went to the living room and sat in front of the large TV set.

"I've heard you are quite a hero," commented Hermione's father."

"When a madman is after you, it doesn't give you too many choices. It was either me or him," he shrugged.

"Hermione has shown us some fragments of the newspapers printed shortly after your great battle. They seem to disagree with you."

Harry just moved his hands in an "I can't do anything about it" gesture. "I'd rather think of the future, if you don't mind," he added.

"And what do you think of the future?"

Harry smiled. "It must be much better than the last few years. I hope to find a nice job, settle down and raise a family, not having to think about wars, battles and dark lords."

"That sound like a good plan to me."

"Well, I may need your help to make that plan come true," said Harry, somewhat apprehensively.

"What kind of help do you need? We could help you financially, but not very much, you should know. This time in Australia has depleted our savings much more than we thought."

"Oh, I don't need this kind of help. Being considered a war hero has a few perks, and then I have a small inheritance from my grandparents. These will help, at least for a start. I would like a different kind of help, though..." Harry paused for a moment, building up his courage. "Well, sir, would you allow me to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage?"

The father looked surprised. "I don't really think I have a say about that. Hermione is more than capable to choose her own mate, and she doesn't really need my consent. Yet I appreciate your request. I know you have been friends for seven years already, but do you really love her, as a man loves a woman?"

"Yes sir, I do. I thought she liked Ron, so I tried not to think this way about her, but now that she has told me there was nothing between her and Ron, I can hardly keep myself from staying close to her every moment."

The father smiled knowingly. "Does Hermione love you?" he asked.

"Well, I've never really asked her, but I believe she does."

"Have you…" the father started asking, but changed his mind. "Well, Harry, if Hermione accepts your proposal, I'll be honored to call you 'son'. It's up to her right now."

"Thank you, sir. This is all the help I was asking for."

They were soon joined by the ladies. Harry didn't waste a moment. As soon as Hermione was sitting at his side he turned to her. "Will you marry me?" he asked.

Hermione looked surprised, but it only took her a moment to reply. "Gladly," was all she said.

It took a little longer to explain their decisions to her parents, and especially to her mother.

"You have never mentioned any romantic thoughts about Harry," she said.

"I just didn't think about it. He was always there, at my side. I don't even know when our friendship turned to be much more, but it struck us today, when I helped him check out his grandparents' house which he inherited. It was as if we were just waiting for the right moment to discover our feelings, and his cousins gave us the right push," Hermione explained.

"His cousins? I thought he had only one cousin who despised him."

"Well, it turns out he has more. His mother had a half-brother who is not in touch with his aunt, and that brother has a son and two daughters. I believe you know them. These are Professor Evans and his twin daughters."

"Oh, him!" exclaimed her mother. Her father just chuckled.

"Is anything wrong with him?" asked Hermione, somewhat unsure of herself.

"Nothing at all, dear. He is just the most unconventional man I've ever met. He's a charming man, a brilliant scholar and a dedicated father and husband, yet he left it all behind and went to Paris to try his luck as a painter and live with his boyfriend. I can understand why your aunt wouldn't even mention him," she added, turning towards Harry.

"His daughters are really nice, though. Very talented and quite beautiful," said the father, stopping as his wife glanced sternly at him.

"They are nice, but quite weird as well. They told me they were paying for their studies by working as nude models, although their father could easily pay for everything…" her mother added. "What kind of push did they give you?" she asked, returning to the previous line of conversation.

"Oh," Hermione blushed, "they said it was too hot and stayed in their knickers only, urging us to do the same…"

Her mother hid a smile, while her father needed a bit more time to open his mouth in surprise and close it hurriedly.

Harry stifled a yawn. "It's getting late and we had a very intensive day. I think I should leave you now and return home."

"HARRY JAMES POTTER! – you are not going anywhere without me!" Hermione informed him in a tone that could not be mistaken.

"Then – what shall I do? If I stay here much longer I'll fall asleep on the couch," he said.

"Well…" she pretended to think hard, "You can stay here for the night. We have a very nice guest room, although I expect you to spend the night in my bed…"

Her father gasped loudly hearing that.

"…or I can go with you to wherever you want to be and spend the night with you…" she continued just as innocently.

Her mother laughed. "Oh, you two go to bed before I change my mind. Hurry up!"

The young couple didn't need more persuasion. They bid her parents goodnight and hurried on the stairs towards Hermione's bedroom.

"It's about time they realized their true feelings, don't you think so?" said her mother.

"Of course, dear, and Harry is a much better choice than that insufferable redhead," her father added.


	3. Chapter 3  Restaurant

**Two Marvelous…**

**3.8.98 - Monday**

**Chapter 3: Restaurant**

Harry woke up feeling unusually happy. He enjoyed this feeling for a little longer, being unaccustomed to such a luxury, before opening his eyes. He was surprised to see the light pink walls and smell that definitely feminine scent before remembering the events of the previous day. He turned his head to look at the sleeping bushy-head beauty at his side. He still felt overwhelmed by the speed of their courtship. A day before they were merely good friends. They both harbored some romantic feelings towards each other, but hid them well. Then those twin cousins made them lose their clothes and their inhibitions. He could only feel thankful for that. He looked at his fiancée again, wondering how he could refrain from showing her his love for such a long time. It was simply inexplicable!

Hermione stretched, revealing her well-formed breasts and yawned. She opened her eyes and seemed surprised, "Harry?" she whispered, and then she seemed to remember. "Harry!" she sighed gladly and turned towards him, kissing his lips tightly and rubbing her breasts against his bare chest.

They came down to the breakfast table about twenty minutes later.

"Slept well, I believe," commented Hermione's mother looking at their entwined hands.

They only nodded with a slight blush creeping to their faces, making her mother smile.

Harry and Hermione sat side by side, as her mother served them breakfast. "You had a phone call before you woke up – one Miss Evans. She left her number. You may call her after you finish breakfast – she said it wasn't urgent."

While the youngsters ate breakfast, Mrs. Granger got ready for work. "We are going to a professional meeting this evening, so we are going to be home quite late. Don't wait for us with dinner," she told Hermione, before taking her keys and her bag and driving to the clinic.

"Don't you want to know why she called?" asked Harry once they finished breakfast.

Hermione smiled. "I believe she wanted to know what happened after they left. Should I tell her?"

Harry shrugged. "I refuse to feel ashamed of loving you. If I'm ashamed of anything, it is of not realizing my feelings earlier."

Hermione kissed him lightly on his lips before lifting the phone, motioning Harry towards the extension in the living room.

"Hello, Iris Evans speaking," he heard on the phone.

"Hi, it's Hermione Granger. You have called me earlier."

"Actually, it was Daphne. We were just anxious to know what happened after we left. Have you gone the whole way? I hope you did!"

"That is not really something I should talk about, although I can't feel ashamed of anything I do with Harry..."

"So you shagged! That's wonderful! I just knew it!"

"I didn't say we did..."

"Never mind. Anything else? Did he offer to be your boyfriend? You are just made for each other!"

"Well, he took a step farther..."

"What do you mean? What kind of step?" She sounded confused.

"He proposed! We are now officially engaged!"

Harry could hear the thrill excitement at the other side of the line. "They are engaged!" he heard Iris saying, probably addressing Daphne, and then both screaming happily.

"We must celebrate this!" said Iris, after the excitement subsided. "Are you free this evening? We may all go to a nice restaurant. You should tell your other friends as well. We may even make it a party!"

"I don't think Harry would like a party, but there are a few friends whom he may like to join us. Don't you, Harry?"

He couldn't answer, as the surprised Iris gasped: "He is already with you? How come?"

Hermione replied. "He came with me for dinner, asked my father's permission and then proposed. It was perfectly romantic and chivalrous."

"Well, Harry – congratulations to you as well. The way we've seen you two yesterday it was clear you belonged with each other. You could hardly look anywhere but at her since she came in."

"Oh, thanks... I suppose..."

"Have you given her a ring?"

"Not yet. It wasn't planned, you know, but I intend to correct that as soon as possible."

"Do it before our dinner! You are a Potter. You can't let your fiancée stay without an engagement ring, not even as an Evans!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" replied Harry sarcastically.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't intend to sound so overbearing, but I believe it is just as important to you, especially since you were both so late to realize your love."

He let Hermione set the time and place for their meeting with his cousins before dinner.

"We have the whole day to ourselves now. What would you like to do?" he asked Hermione after she hung the phone.

"I believe we have some dishes waiting for us at your house, and then we should also check the master bedroom, I believe..." Her seductive smile indicated how she intended checking that room.

"We should also go to Gringotts, I believe," added Harry. "I need some money to buy your engagement ring and to pay for the restaurant. I don't normally carry with me more than the minimum."

They spent the rest of the morning at the Evans house, eating lunch there as well. They then apparated to Diagon Alley. Hermione thought she would check the books at Flourish and Bolts but Harry insisted that she join him.

"Whatever I own is yours, even if we aren't officially wed yet. I want you to know what we own and I need you at my side." She just couldn't refuse.

It was really the first time Harry entered the Potter vault, having always used his fund vault before. They were both surprised at its size and its contents, but the most exciting object they found there was actually just an envelope. It was addressed "To Harry, our son".

Harry felt tears threatening to overflow when he took it into his hand and opened it to find the parchment inside. Hermione held his hand in support and they both started reading the letter:

"_Dear Harry,_

_If you are reading this it means that we are both dead and that you have managed to survive, since you were about a year old when we wrote this letter to you._

_We love you dearly and we intend to do everything possible to keep you safe, but the times are really dark. We are in a war against Voldemort – a Dark Lord who is targeting you for a reason we don't know. We are hiding right now, sending this letter to the bank with somebody else._

_We want you to know that whatever will happen – we love you, even though we are dead. This vault contains both physical wealth – gold and silver and precious artifacts, but it also contains richness immeasurable in books of knowledge and ancient magic. Your mother would have loved to read them all. One of them may even hold a key to our survival, but, as you know by now, we have not found it. I hope you and the woman you choose to share your life with will read these books and get the knowledge within them to make your life happy and fruitful._

_Talking of our future daughter in law – your Mom would love it if your fiancée would wear the same engagement ring that she had worn before our marriage. It is in the drawer with the lion handle near the door, along with the other ring, intended for you. If you both wear them they will help you come closer and understand each other better._

_We wish we could know what you have endured and how you have lived until now, but that is impossible. We don't even know how old you are now, when you read this. We hope you are still young and able to enjoy life, using the contents of this vault._

_We love you always,_

_Lilly and James Potter, your parents.__"_

Harry's tears were flowing freely as well as Hermione's. They hugged each other for support and after awhile they regained control over their emotions. Harry walked to the cabinet near the door, opened the drawer with the lion handle and found several small boxes in there. Two of these were tied together with a red ribbon. He took them back to Hermione.

"I believe these are the rings. Do you want to open the boxes?"

"I'd be honored," replied Hermione. She untied the red ribbon. Harry opened the bigger box, revealing a definitely feminine ring with a red ruby surrounded by smaller emeralds. It was just the kind of ring he was thinking of buying for his love.

"Would you accept this ring and wear it as a token of our love?" he asked, sounding quite formal.

"Gladly," answered Hermione, almost in a whisper.

Harry slid the ring on her finger and it adjusted to her size. He then handed Hermione the other box. She opened it to find a masculine version of the same ring: a little wider and looking sturdier, but using the same styling and colors. She silently slid the ring on Harry's finger, feeling a kind of vibration on both rings once they were both set firmly on their respective fingers.

"Well, this saves us a visit at the jeweler's shop," she smiled at him.

Harry only collected a handful of gold coins and put them in his pocket. "We shall pay a longer visit to this vault when we have more time to spare. We have not informed any of our friends yet," he said, taking her hand and walking out of the vault.

They used the owl post to inform Neville and Luna, but visited the Weasley shop to inform Ron and his family. George, who was trying to continue business as usual, despite still mourning his twin brother, was quite surprised. "I always thought you were perfect for each other, but it looked like it would take you an eternity to realize this."

"Well, we had a small push," smiled Hermione, without going into details.

They used the floo to inform the rest of the family and to invite Ron and Ginny, along with George to the festive dinner.

It was almost dinner time. Harry and Hermione walked hand in hand towards the King's Cross train station. Hermione set that as the meeting point with his cousins.

"Why did you choose this place as a meeting point?" asked Harry.

"It's just a comfortable stroll away from Diagon Alley and it is a well known spot for both magical and muggle folks. I'm still not sure where we should go for dinner, though. I only know very few restaurants in London and none in magical London."

"I'm sure my cousins will have some suggestions, and Neville is sure to know a few magical restaurants of distinction."

They noticed the twins from quite a distance and were noticed by them a moment later. "Harry, Hermione, over here!" the twins called.

Harry could see Neville talking with Ron a little bit farther. They both looked surprised as they heard their friends' names shouted by the two obviously muggle girls. They reluctantly approached the two with Ginny trudging behind as Harry and Hermione crossed the road to reach them.

The twins welcomed the couple with hugs and kisses and then stepped aside to allow the magic friends to congratulate them as well. Hermione made the introductions: "These are Harry's newly found cousins, Iris and Daphne Evans." She then continued introducing each of the friends to the twins.

By the time the introductions were finished, and Harry couldn't fail noticing Ron eyeing his cousins attentively, George and Luna joined the group, causing Hermione to repeat the introductions. "Where are we going to?" asked Harry. He thought Hermione would have the answer, as always. He was surprised to hear the twins.

"Oh, we've already made a reservation. It's one of the best restaurants…"

"…I'm sure you'll all like it…"

"…and we are paying anyway."

"Where is it?" asked Hermione.

"Not too far…

"… We can just walk there."

George looked bemused at the way the twins were talking. As they started leading the group, George walked besides the twins, trying to start a conversation.

"You are Iris, aren't you?"

"Right on the spot! How could you distinguish us apart?"

"It's not so difficult, really, especially for one who is… was a twin."

"Oh, I'm sorry, George, but I don't think this is the right time to talk about the past. I'd like to meet you some other time for a chat, though."

George smiled. He could tell that Iris was really interested and he knew this was not the right time to talk about his loss. "I'm looking forward to such a meeting," he said.

They were approaching "The Leaky Cauldron" and Harry was starting to wonder where the restaurant might be. As muggles, the twins could not be aware of that place. But had they really said they were not magical? He wasn't sure.

"Oh, they have finally renovated the sign," he heard one of the twins saying.

"You can really see it?" he wondered loudly.

"How else would we know it has recently been renovated?" replied one of the twins.

"Then… you are magical!" mumbled Harry.

"I don't know. We can see things others can't and we can do a bit of magic, but we were not invited to attend Hogwarts."

Harry looked at Hermione and grimaced. "What is it?" asked Hermione.

"Probably another of Dumbledore's meddling affairs," answered Harry. Hermione didn't comment, but her face showed she was thinking about it.

They entered "The Leaky Cauldron". "Hi, Tom," said both twins in unison.

"Hi, girls. Want to party?" responded Tom, the barkeeper.

"Sure! Our cousin has just got engaged!" they replied.

Tom's glance skipped to the group. He recognized each and every person, yet he couldn't see who that cousin might be.

"Welcome, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger; Welcome Mr. Longbottom; Hi, George!" said tom. He then noticed Harry's hands entwined with Hermione's. "Oh, that's lovely! Just about time you came together!"

They reached the backyard. Iris turned to George. "Will you open the way for us, please."

Once at Diagon Alley, the twins seemed to know their way perfectly, leading the group towards a secluded shop which turned out to be a very luxurious restaurant. The waiter seemed to know the twins before. Harry wondered quietly about that.

They were seated at a round table. Harry and Hermione sat together, followed by the twins, then George, Ron, Luna, Ginny and Neville. The twins seemed to be quite at home. They recommended the appropriate selections from the menu and most accepted them, knowing no better. Only Neville, who seemed to have already visited that place, ordered differently.

"Will you two tell us how you became engaged?" asked Luna.

Hermione smiled cheerfully. "Harry has just received his inheritance from his Evans grandparents. When checking the house he has inherited, he met these cousins he was unaware of. He asked me to check the house with him and when we were alone we found out our love for each other. He then escorted me home and stayed for dinner. Once we finished dinner – he proposed."

"That was fast!" commented Daphne.

"Not really, considering that we know each other for seven years and we were only hiding our feelings as we thought they weren't mutual," replied Harry.

"Everybody knew you were destined for each other; only you seemed oblivious," added George.

"Aren't they nice together?" asked Luna, elbowing Ron.

"Oh, they surely are!" he replied, although his tone was quite reluctant.

Ginny also didn't seem too happy for her friends. While she knew that marrying Harry would only stay a dream, she found it very difficult to let that dream go. Neville had no such ambivalent feelings. He was very happy for his friends and was even happier to sit so close to Ginny.

The conversation at the table was very lively. George, with just a little push from Iris, almost returned to his old self, joking, teasing and making fun. Luna enjoyed herself as well, leaning occasionally on Ron, who seemed to find that quite endearing. He put his hand around her shoulders eventually and she seemed to like it, snuggling even closer.

Neville didn't seem to be as lucky with Ginny. They talked and enjoyed themselves, but Ginny sat straight, not giving him any chance to come closer.

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	4. Chapter 4  Tales

**Two Marvelous…**

**Chapter 4: Tales**

After having finished the luxurious meal, the participants started leaving. Luna seemed very tired and Ron offered to take her home. The others followed suite soon. Neville escorted Ginny, who seemed more relaxed now, after having drunk some wine, and was actually leaning on him on their way out. George made sure that Iris knew where to find him and only left after getting her promise to soon visit him at the shop.

"Would you like to go somewhere now? A dance club, maybe?" asked Iris.

"Not really. It has been a long and eventful day and we still have a few things to do..." Harry looked at Hermione, who blushed a little at his words.

"Don't you want to meet you aunt – our mother – at least?"

"Isn't it a bit late?"

"No, it's fine. We've already told her that we may bring you along. She is really anxious to meet you. She has only seen you once, as a baby. She saw Hermione when she was about ten, not really thinking they may become related in the future. She really wants to meet you both."

Hermione nodded slightly. Harry understood. "OK, but only a short visit. How are we going there?"

"Oh, our car is parked nearby. We shall take you, and you may then apparate home, or we could drive you there as well."

They soon reached the car. The twins took the front seats while Harry and Hermione sat on the back seats. Once they started moving, Harry noticed that all traffic lights were turning green as they approached.

"Isn't it lucky that we encounter no red light?" he noted.

"It's not luck – it's magic," replied Iris, who was driving.

"What do you mean? You said you weren't accepted at Hogwarts."

"True. Not because we weren't magical..."

"...but probably due to some politics."

"Would you care to explain?"

Daphne turned her head towards them, looking very serious.

"On our eleventh birthday we received a letter from Dumbledore, informing us that we were magical and stating that he would have liked us to join Hogwarts, but that due to circumstances beyond his control, it would be safer for us to study somewhere else or even be home-educated. He recommended a few people who could be contacted by normal mail or by phone."

Harry listened attentively. Was this another meddling by the old man or was there a real reason for this? He hoped to find out.

"Dad contacted all of them, one by one. Some weren't really interested. Others seemed to be interested only in getting the money for the job of teaching us. Only one seemed to truly consider what was best for us. She recommended going to another magical school, either in France or in the USA. Dad has never liked the Americans and Mom thought it to be too far, so we spent the rest of that year learning French and went to Beauxbatons the next autumn."

"So – you are really witches!"

"Yes, although the ministry doesn't recognize us as such. We are not even allowed to carry a wand."

"That's ridiculous. I'll have a talk with Kingsley. I'm sure he can handle this!"

"I wouldn't bother, really. You see, not being known as witches helped us during the war...

"... and we live very nicely as muggles."

Hermione frowned. "What did you do during the war, actually?"

"We were with Dad when the ministry fell. We've learned about it the next day, when the French press gave full report of Fleur's wedding."

"Dad said we couldn't go back and Mr. Delacour said the same."

"You know Fleur's family?"

"Dad knows everybody, actually, although we were never close friends. Anyhow, we stayed in France and tried to find ways to help from there."

"So what did you do?"

The twins smiled mischievously. "Oh, we found a way..."

"You know that Beauxbatons is excellent on charms, I suppose," said Iris.

Hermione nodded. Harry was completely out.

"Well, we know some very interesting charms, which are activated by the actions of the one they are cast upon..."

"...Somewhat like wards..."

"Well, we found something appropriate and modified it to be activated only by offensive spells."

"That's really advanced work," commented Hermione.

"Then there's a spell to allow one to see what's hidden under one's clothing. It is something quite French in concept," Dapne giggled.

"We also found out that many of the Death Eaters used to come and relax at some shady clubs in Paris, ones featuring almost naked dancers."

"So we applied for a job there. While dancing with the clients we used the revealing spell to check for the dark mark...

"… and then we used the other charm to bind their magic if ever they used an offensive spell."

Harry was delighted. "That's brilliant!"

"Unfortunately, none of the inner circle visited those clubs," pointed Iris.

"How could you do this? You couldn't use wands there, could you?" asked Hermione.

"We could use wandless magic..."

"...had we been able to master it..."

"...but we had some other means."

Iris was already parking the car near a house that looked almost like a copy of Hermione's house.

"We'll show you inside," Daphne promised.

They were greeted by a nice woman of about fifty. She looked at Harry appreciatively and then nodded her head. "Only that no-good Dursley could find any fault in this young man," she commented, and then opened her arms invitingly: "Welcome, Harry. I wish I could welcome you here long ago."

They all spent some time together, getting to know each other. About half an hour later, Mrs. Evans excused herself and left the youngsters alone.

"You said you had other means for using magic," Hermione reminded the twins.

"Oh, sure. See our rings?" Both twins presented their right hands. Each was wearing a ring on her index finger. Hermione looked at the rings and blushed slightly. Each ring had a short gold rod, adorned with a single small diamond in the front and two larger rubies at the back. It looked somewhat like a phallic symbol.

"These are our wands," said Iris.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"The rods contain our wands, shrunk to fit," explained Daphne.

"And the gems are there to mask the rod and make it look more...

"...interesting."

"That's very clever," commented Hermione, "but doesn't this pose other problems?"

"It poses no problems at close range and we can have the wand ready at all times..."

"...although it is not so good for accurate aim, like in duels,"

"And we hope to never engage in any such situation."

"Can you show me?" asked Harry.

Daphne pointed her finger at the vase on the corner table. She moved her hand up and the vase rose in the air and then landed on the coffee table.

"That's a very nice demonstration of wordless magic," Hermione said appreciatively.

"There was also a more serious reason for us staying in France during the war," commented Iris.

Harry and Hermione looked at her questioningly.

"Dad knew that the burden of destroying Voldemort was carried by Harry. He told us all he knew about it, which wasn't much, really…"

"...He then added that if things went badly and Harry failed, the burden would fall on us, as the only remaining witches from Lily's bloodline."

Daphne looked as serious as can be, practically a different person than the giggling carefree girl she had been moments ago. "We took some advanced dueling lessons and we also studied any tome of offensive and defensive magic that we could find."

"We actually intended to return to England that summer and try to join forces with you, hoping to be an asset for the light forces. Luckily, you've managed to finish him off before that."

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	5. Chapter 5  Uncle

**Two Marvelous…**

**Chapter 5: Vacation in Paris - Uncle**

**6.8.98**

The phone rang. "Hi, it's Iris. We're visiting Dad this weekend. Would you like to join us for a romantic weekend in Paris?"

Harry looked at Hermione questioningly. She nodded.

"Sure! How do you go there?"

"We've been considering the train. It's cheaper and safer than flying and brings you to the center, unlike an airplane."

"You could use a portkey," suggested Harry.

"No. We're not recognized as witches, so this option is closed for us. We actually tried using portkeys in France, but they are not much better than apparition. We don't like either."

"Fine. When do we go?"

"Just meet us at the main gate of St. Pancreas International station tomorrow at ten. We'll do the rest."

Hermione made sure to be there by nine-thirty. The twins joined them only a few minutes later. "We already have the tickets, so let's go!"

They soon found their seats on the train and settled down. The twins only brought a large handbag each, containing all they would need for the weekend, while Hermione took her beaded handbag, which could contain much more. They talked about various subjects, not dwelling on any in particular. The twins spoke about their studies and Hermione listened attentively. Before they even noticed, they were approaching Paris.

Harry was fascinated. It was the first time he left the British Isle and he was getting as excited as a small child. Hermione had already visited Paris more than once, still she liked going there and it was also the first time she had done so by train. It was not even comparable to the Hogwarts Express. This train was really FAST! It was also much more comfortable.

It was about two o'clock when they descended in Paris. The twins led Harry and Hermione to a secluded section of the train station and then held their hands and apparated. They found themselves in front of a very elegant house, surrounded by a well-tended garden, full of colorful flowers and plants.

"Welcome to Chateau Evans," smirked one of the twins.

The sound of the apparition attracted some attention, so it seemed. The door opened and a man who looked about sixty walked out. Seeing the visitors he turned his head back to call "John, your daughters are here with your nephew!" He then turned back to them. "Welcome my dears; your father is expecting you." He looked at Harry. "You must then be the famous Harry Potter and this lovely lady must be your fiancée. Am I right?"

"Yes, you are. How should I call you, sir?"

"I'm simply Louis, and don't sir me, please. Now, if you'll follow me..."

He led them all in, where another man about the same age was waiting. The man first hugged the twins and kissed their cheeks, and then turned to Harry.

"Welcome, Harry. I'm John Evans, as you have probably understood. I'm really glad to be able to meet you at last."

He hugged Harry warmly and then held his shoulders at arm's length and looked him over. "You have your father's hair and your mother's eyes, just as I remembered. I was also told that just like your father, you chose the brightest witch you could find to fall in love with. Will you introduce me to your fiancée?"

Harry complied gladly. "Uncle John, this is Hermione Granger. You may know her parents – they are dentists and live not too far from your house in England."

"Miss Granger – it's an honor to meet you. I also have some very good memories of your parents, as absurd as it is to say so about dentists."

He then addressed the others as well. "I believe you skipped lunch on the train, so we've been waiting for you with the meal. Please come outside. We're having lunch at the side of the swimming pool."

Indeed, a large table was set near the pool and Louis was already busy bringing some more food to the table. It was a French lunch, with small delicious portions and some wine in-between. As usual in many French households, no important matters were discussed during the meal. They talked about the train ride – comparing it to other trains, the food – as compared to the English food (was there even anything to compare?), the weather (sunshine in Paris vs. rain in London) and fashion (mainly the ladies).

They finished lunch with a small coffee and some fruits and then just laid lazily on the beach-chairs around the pool.

"Can you tell me about your life with your aunt?" asked John.

Harry frowned. That was not something he liked to talk about. He hadn't told it all even to Hermione and he wasn't sure if it was the right time to let everything out. Yet this was his uncle. Who else could he tell his story to if not his closest family? He couldn't fail to notice that both Hermione and the twins seemed to stop their conversations and were waiting to hear his story. He sighed deeply before starting to talk.

"It was a very miserable period of my life, one I would really like to keep quiet about," he answered truthfully, knowing this was not meant to be.

"I understand, Harry, but I feel it is my duty to know. I'm not so sure it was right for me to let Petunia care for you, but Dumbledore thought it was best if I stay hidden, so that the magical community would not even know of my existence, and especially not about my girls. This is why they didn't attend Hogwarts. He didn't want anybody making the connection between you and us. Yet I was quite sure that you staying with Petunia was not a good idea. Please tell me some more."

Harry could now understand why the twins had attended Beauxbatons and why they were not recognized as magical in Britain. It was all done for "the greater good". Harry sighed loudly and talked again.

"You probably know that aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon abhor anything they consider 'not normal', although I would say that they are also as far from normal as one can get. Magic is not normal, as far as they are concerned. This is why they didn't like my parents and why they mistreated me. I used to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs until I went to Hogwarts. They made me do all kinds of chores for them, chores they never made Dudley, their son, do and they would punish me severely if I failed to do everything they asked. Uncle Vernon used to beat me regularly and Dudley and his friends did the same for no reason at all."

He took a deep breath and continued. "They used to give me Dudley's old clothes which were always much larger than my size. They never bought anything new for me, never took me to the cinema nor to any kind of amusement unless they had no choice. Dudley started changing after I saved him from the Dementors, and maybe petunia as well – I'm not really sure, but Vernon didn't change until the last time I saw him."

Both twins blanched at the mention of Dementors, and even John seemed to be startled a bit. "When was it that you fought the Dementors?" he asked.

"It was first during my third year. Professor Lupin…"

"He used to be your parent's friend, wasn't he?"

"Yes, one and the same. He taught me the patronus charm. Then, when we found Sirius Black, we were attacked by dementors and I managed to drive them away…"

"You were only thirteen! How could you even do it?" asked Iris.

Harry shrugged. "I was very badly affected by their proximity during the train ride. This is why Remus thought I should know the spell, yet I didn't really succeed in creating a real patronus before. It was at that time that I first succeeded. There was too much to risk and I just couldn't allow them to take either Sirius or Hermione from me."

"That's incredible!" said Daphne.

"I could hardly believe it when I saw it," commented Hermione. "He drove about a hundred of them away. I couldn't do this charm at all until two years later, and I was considered one of the best..."

"THE best," Harry corrected. "She was the top of any class she attended, except divination."

Hermione smiled at the praise, but blushed and looked down. Harry continued:

"Anyway, it was the summer before my fifth year. I was going home and Dudley was trying to taunt me when they came for us. They were probably sent to attack me, but they were not choosy. They almost kissed us both before I managed to drive them away. I had to carry Dudley home, as he was affected much worse than me."

There was silence around the pool, and then Iris said: "I still can't produce a corporeal patronus, no matter how hard I try…"

"…and neither can I," added Daphne.

"Didn't they realize that you saved their precious son?" asked John.

"Not at all. They still blamed me for what had happened. I then had to face trial for using magic in front of muggles, but Dumbledore helped me out."

There was silence once more, until Louis came to join them. "Wouldn't you like to swim a bit in the sun? It's such a beautiful day."

"I didn't take my bikini with me," said Hermione, saddened by the omission.

"Who needs swimsuits at all?" asked Iris. "We don't," added Daphne.

They both removed their clothes at once and jumped fully naked into the water. John and Louis were also undressing, although not as quickly. Hermione looked questioningly at Harry. He shrugged and started unbuckling his belt.

Soon the whole group was swimming merrily in the pool, splashing water on each other and having fun, something Harry was not accustomed to. Hermione seemed delighted at hearing Harry laugh, while he enjoyed looking at her wet body shining in the sun, her face smiling at him and her hands caressing him. Looking at his beautiful fiancée he almost forgot the others who were just as nude only a pace away.

They tired after awhile and came out of the water. The sun was warm enough to dry them and the twins preferred to just stretch on the beach chairs and let the sun caress their nude bodies. Harry was somewhat reluctant at first, but seeing Hermione expose herself the same way he stretched at her side, taking her hand in his.

"I love you," he whispered.

"And I love you," she replied.

The warm sun almost lulled then to sleep, but John warned them to get in. "You are not accustomed to the sun and too much exposure may harm you. Go take a shower and rest a bit. I still want to hear some more about you and about my half sister."

Nobody bothered to get dressed as they gathered their clothes and went back inside. John led Harry and Hermione to one of the guest rooms, not even bothering to offer separate rooms. "Enjoy your stay," he said before going with Louis into the master bedroom.

Harry closed the door behind them and looked at Hermione, who was standing in front of him with some expectation in her eyes. "Isn't Paris the city of love?" he asked her as he put his hands on her hips and brought her closer to him so he could kiss her properly.

They didn't bother with a shower. Their bodies, heated by the sun, were now even hotter with passion. Their kiss extended, as their hands started roaming over their bodies caressing and teasing, bringing their passions to new heights. They moved closer to the bed and eventually fell on it. Harry fell on top of Hermione, but held himself on his arms, so he wouldn't crush her. He now kissed her neck, her shoulders and went further, kissing her breasts, paying special attention to her erect nipples, continuing down her belly to the delicious opening between her thighs. Hermione was no longer able to withhold. She grabbed his manhood with her hand and directed it to her wet opening. "I need you inside," she told him in her most bossy tone. Harry was more than happy to oblige. He was soon pumping in and out at a frantic rate, encouraged by her moans of pleasure. It went much faster than expected, yet agonizingly slow. Finally Hermione's internal walls started to convulse around his organ, sending both into an exploding orgasm.

"Don't we need to shower?" Harry asked some eternity later.

"Hmmm…" came the very eloquent answer.

He looked around, noticing a bedside clock.

"It's almost six. We should shower and go meet our hosts again, don't you think so?"

She just grabbed his head and pulled him into another kiss. He couldn't really object.

"Hermione, let's shower together," he told her after breaking the kiss.

"Only shower?" she asked innocently.

"Well… Maybe a bit more than shower," he admitted.

It really was much more. They caressed each other, kissed fervently and ended up having another earth-shattering orgasm. Eventually they managed to get clean. They dried themselves, each in a separate towel, just to be on the safe side, and the put some casual clothes on and went hand in hand out of the room.

The twins were already waiting in the sitting room. They smiled knowingly when they saw the young couple approach. "Would you like a tour of Paris by night?"

Hermione liked the idea. "I've seen it once, when I was about ten. I remember it was beautiful, although I fell asleep before the tour was finished. I hope to be more alert this time."

"I've never seen it by day or by night, except some pictures. Everything would be interesting for me," Harry noted.

"We may then dine out. Although Louis is a great cook, he still likes going to restaurants, and Dad is bound to take you to one of the best. With his connections he can even get a table when the restaurant is fully booked."

"Shouldn't we change then? These are unsuitable for a posh restaurant." Harry was pointing at his clothes.

"No need to hurry. The sun sets quite late and dad still wants to hear some more about you before we get out. Would you like some tea now?"

Daphne went to the kitchen, returning carrying a tray with six cups of tea and some cookies. As she put it down on the table they were joined by John and Louis.

Harry continued telling about himself, making his uncle mad at his aunt and even more at Dumbledore. "He's lucky to be dead already or he would have had to answer to me!" John said furiously. "I should not have listened to him all those years back, neither should Petunia. We made you suffer and I find it inexcusable. It's a wonder you still ended up as such a fine young man. That is probably due in a large part to your beautiful fiancée, isn't it?"

"I could have never done everything that I did if I didn't have her always at my side. Can you wonder why I grew to love her?"

They all smiled understandingly.

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6 Gringotts

**AN: I've reloaded this chapter due to error in previous uploading. My sincere apologies to all who got confused.**

**Chapter 6 - Gringotts**

After tea, they spent another hour asking Harry about his life at the Dursleys and Harry eventually spilled everything out. John was so furious that Harry was glad to have Petunia far away. Hermione was also furious, although she had already heard some of it before and guessed most of it as well.

Eventually they all changed to semi-formal clothing which could fit a posh restaurant yet wouldn't seem out of place when just touring the city.

Paris at night was wonderful. Hermione enjoyed the views and Harry was quite overwhelmed. He never thought a city could be so lively and so beautiful. He already knew London, or some of it, at least, yet Paris was totally different, as if even the stones were of a different substance. Hermione enjoyed looking at him just as much as she enjoyed the views around her. John was also entrapped by Harry's fascination so much that he decided to leave the restaurant for another evening, dining in a fast-food outlet instead.

They were now walking on Champs-Elisee when the twins said: "Let's visit the Lido!"

Hermione blushed a bit at the suggestion, while Harry just asked "What is the Lido?"

"It's a night-club, where they have a nice show and most of the dancers are almost naked," John explained. It was now Harry's turn to blush.

"Do you want to see it? We used to work in a similar place, although not as elegant," explained Daphne.

Harry looked at Hermione questioningly. She shrugged. "Fine, let's see what it's all about," he said.

Three hours later, when they were back in John's house, Harry was still confused. He blamed the Champagne which he tasted at the Lido, but he knew that it was just his puritan English education. Until his eighteenth birthday he thought nudity was for the bathroom and bedroom only. Then he met the twins and his ideas about nudity changed a bit, and their nude swimming that afternoon added another bit of change. Yet seeing so many practically naked dancers affected him in a way he could not yet understand. He liked what he saw – of that he was sure, but it also confused him, and then, in a very unexpected way, it also made him proud of his fiancée and of his cousins. He knew the three of them looked even better than the most beautiful dancers on that stage and he was brave enough to tell them, earning a kiss from each and a silent promise for reward from Hermione, once they were alone.

They woke up late the next morning. Breakfast was served at the poolside in informal attire, meaning – practically naked, or only covered by a towel.

"When do you plan to get married?" John asked them.

"We have not discussed it yet. I know I don't want to wait much longer, yet Hermione would probably want to finish her formal education at Hogwarts and I'm considering it as well. This may delay our plans, Then, I'd like to give her as magnificent a wedding as she deserves, but I'm not sure if I can afford it."

"I'm quite sure money will pose no problem. While your Evans inheritance may not be worth very much money-wise, I'm sure you have much more than enough from your Potter side."

"I don't really know. I've seen the vault, but I had no time to really check its contents."

"That may take some time, I'm sure. It is probably one of the oldest at Gringotts, yet you should talk to your account manager there. I'm sure that most of your wealth is not in the vault."

"I know nothing about it..."

"Oh, I've heard your father mentioning that his annual allowance was more than enough to keep several families, even before he inherited the whole Potter estate. I suggest you check with the bank as soon as you're back in London. You may be pleasantly surprised."

While the twins spent most of their time in the sun – swimming, tanning or playing some ball games, Harry and Hermione stayed mostly in the shade. Even their short exposure to the sun during the previous afternoon made their skin red and they didn't take any potion to counter the effect, so they preferred to be cautious.

Harry got to know his uncle better. John knew very well everything that had happened within magical England, which was quite unusual for a muggle. He was even aware of Harry's break into Gringotts and his escape on a dragon's back.

"The goblins wouldn't have forgiven you, had you not been a Potter," he noted.

"What do you mean?"

"I believe that their share in the Potter profits is high enough to cover the whole damage within a few weeks. Had they posed any problems to you, you could have moved your business elsewhere and they would have lost much more. They know their math quite well, so it seems."

"They didn't mention anything about the break when I came there after the war. They did eye me suspiciously, though, but they always seem to do it."

Hermione bumped in. "I actually think they tried to be extremely polite with you when we went there. It really made me wonder."

"Now you know," commented John.

The weekend ended just too quickly. Sunday night they were back in London. The Evans twins drove home, while Harry and Hermione went to Grimmauld place for the night.

Monday morning, after letting Kreacher indulge them with a delicious (and much too large) breakfast, they went to Gringotts.

They soon found themselves facing an older Goblin in one of the executive rooms.

"I've been handling this account for the last fifty years," the Goblin told them. "I've done my best to keep it profitable, yet it has been quite stressful for the last seventeen years, not being able to have the account owner's preferences known to me. I hope you will find my handling of your account satisfactory."

"I trust you've done your best, and that is really all that I can expect," replied Harry.

They spent most of the morning there, learning of assets, investments and trust funds – all owned by Potter. They were somewhat surprised to discover that Potter, Black and Longbottom held the majority shares in The Daily Prophet. There were several other businesses, both magical and mundane, in the Potter holdings as well as several houses, some of them used for investment. It turned out that even the house they visited in Paris, where his uncle John was living, actually belonged to the Potters. The house was rented to Mr. John Evans for life at the price of one pound monthly.

They left the bank carrying several folders they intended to study at home.

After all those hours in the bank, Harry hoped to relax with an ice cream. This was not to happen. As soon as they placed their order, they were discovered by some reporters who started bombarding them with questions. It took Hermione all her persuasion talents to keep Harry from lashing at the reporters. Once the reporters got what they wanted, the couple was left alone for a short while. They were just starting to enjoy the repose when another voice was heard. "Harry, Hermione! I didn't expect to see you here."

They turned around to see Neville. "Hi! Do you like to join us?" Hermione asked.

"Gladly, but only for a short while. I'm meeting Ginny in half an hour. What are you guys doing here? I thought you were still in France."

"We returned last night and decided to check my account at Gringotts. We had some surprises there…"

"Only good surprises, I hope."

Harry smiled. "Well, between you and me we control the Daily Prophet. Did you know that?"

Neville looked surprised. "I knew my parents had some shares, and I expected yours to have some as well. I only have about ten percent of the shares."

"Well, the rest was almost equally divided between Black, Potter and Malfoy, so that I now own more than half the shares, and with your support we can make it a much better newspaper."

"Count me in," said Neville. "Do you have a plan?"

"I trust Hermione to come with a detailed plan in a few days, but we may have to pay them a visit as soon as today. I don't want them to publish any rubbish about Hermione and me being engaged."

"I'm with you, guys. Does Draco know?"

"I'm not sure. I'm not even sure he still holds his shares. So much of the Malfoy fortunes was either destroyed by the war or confiscated, first by the dark lord and then by the government, that he may have lost his shares or may have sold them for cash. But even if not – he doesn't have much to say now, does he?"

Neville smirked almost like Draco. "Not at all."

They next paid a visit to the Daily Prophet offices. It turned to be quite a pleasant visit. Some of the senior staff had been replaced since the defeat of the dark lord and the new managers were quite eager to please the war heroes, even before learning they were actually the owners.

They spent the evening in Grimmauld Place, going over the various documents from the bank and enjoying the great dinner cooked for them by Kreacher and most of all – enjoying each other's company.


	7. Chapter 7  Petunia

**Chapter 7 - Petunia**

** 11.8.98 - Tuesday**

"Have you decided what to do about your aunt's letter?"

Harry brushed his head with his hand, not too sure. "I think I will invite her, eventually. There's nothing else I can do, especially considering the information she may have for me and... Well, she is still my closest family..."

"Where will you want to meet her?"

"Probably at Evans Home. I don't want to return to Privet Drive and the other places we own are either inaccessible to muggles or just too far. Will you stay with me?"

Hermione smiled at him lovingly. "Always!"

It was early afternoon, a few days later, when Petunia Dursley came to visit. She was driving a small dark-green car and Harry noticed that she was wearing some of her finest clothes. She also seemed to be as nervous as he was.

Harry opened the door for her. "Welcome, Aunt Petunia." He offered her his hand.

Petunia seemed to not see the offered hand. She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into a hug to rival Molly's. Harry was so surprised that he could hardly respond. When she finally released him, he could see some moisture in her eyes. She now took the previously offered hand and held it tightly. "Harry!" – She could say no more for a while.

Harry led her in. Hermione was waiting at the door of the sitting room. "Aunt petunia, please meet Hermione Granger – my fiancée," he said proudly.

Petunia could hardly control her emotions. "Oh, my!" she exclaimed, putting her hand to her mouth, before getting hold of herself and shaking hands with Hermione, mumbling "Delighted."

Harry showed his aunt to the couch and sat on the sofa opposite her. Hermione came to sit close to him. There was an awkward silence. Petunia was looking at Harry, as if trying to study him, glancing occasionally at Hermione as well. Nobody seemed to know how to start the conversation.

"Would you like some tea?" offered Harry.

"Yes, thank you," she answered, relieved to have something to talk about.

"I'll handle this," suggested Hermione. "You two have a lot to catch up..." She swiftly rose from her seat and went to the kitchen.

"She seems to be a nice girl," commented Petunia. "How long have you been together?"

"I've met her the first day I went to Hogwarts. We became very close friends, but we have only discovered our love to each other the day I came here."

"So, she is a witch..."

"Her parents are dentists. She is muggle-born, just like Mum."

"She looks nice, but is she also smart?"

"Oh, yes! They say she is the smartest witch in our generation. I would not have survived the war if it wasn't for her help and her support. She stayed with me when nobody else would; she fought at my side all the way until the final battle. I can't imagine what I would do without her."

"So, you love each other..."

"We really do. We've been in love for quite some time, but I thought she loved my best friend and she thought I was in love with another girl. Luckily we found out."

Hermione came, carrying a plate with the tea cups, sugar, cream and some biscuits. Petunia noticed the way the youngsters were looking at each other.

"You remind me of your father," she told Harry. "He was also looking at Lilly the same way when I first met him."

"Can you tell me about my parents?"

Petunia smiled sadly. "I should have told you when you were still a child, if not for that vow. I still don't understand why Dumbledore made me act that way, though. From what I've heard about him he usually considered love to be the most powerful force. Why would he deprive you of that?"

"We have a theory, but please tell me first."

Petunia had a lot to tell. She told of Lilly's childhood, of how they found out her magic, how it affected their relations and how they grew apart when Lilly went to Hogwarts. Harry was so absorbed in her stories that he didn't even notice when Hermione brought another serving of tea.

Petunia finished her story, telling of his parents' wedding, of the first war and of finding him at her door.

"I was so shocked, I couldn't really do anything. I just saw a lovely baby abandoned at our door. I only thought 'what kind of parents would abandon such a loveable baby?' I then found the letter telling of your parents' deaths. It was just too much for me to bear. Vernon helped me take you in and feed you along with Dudley. We then discussed what needed to be done in order to provide you with what you may need. Vernon suggested turning the extra room into your room and started making a list of all that we needed to do or to buy. He suggested we make you comfortable in the cupboard under the stairs until your room could be ready. You were still a baby and that place was more than enough for a few days, as I thought."

She drank a bit of her tea before she continued.

"That evening we had a visit. Albus Dumbledore came. He told us how your parents died, or at least how he thought that happened, considering the evidence. He then said that even though you somehow survived, you may eventually be in danger, endangering us as well. It was then that Vernon changed his attitude. He didn't mind raising you; he could even accept your magic, though grudgingly; he just couldn't accept the fact that by taking you in he was endangering his family. He started to hate you then. Not for your magic or for the cost of raising you – only because your presence brought enormous danger to the family. Dumbledore didn't help either. He demanded that we didn't show any affection to you. When I protested, he made me vow to do just that. 'He still doesn't know, but he has a great mission awaiting him when he grows up. Only by doing as I told you does he have any chance to really fulfill that mission.' I was unable to argue, not even knowing all the facts."

"I think I know why he acted that way, although he eventually admitted it was a grave mistake," Harry said.

Hermione just hugged him tightly, not saying a word.

"Can you tell me what happened during your years at Hogwarts? I know you had some very difficult experiences there, but even our hosts during the magical war were unable to tell me much."

The door bell interrupted. Hermione went to the door and opened it to two giggling young women. "Hi! We thought we would find you here..."

"…especially since we knew Aunt Petunia was coming here today..."

"...and we knew it would be a long visit."

Harry smiled at his twin cousins, motioning them to sit down. Petunia looked at them with some surprise in her eyes. "Aren't you John's daughters? I've last seen you about ten years ago."

"Yes, Aunt Petunia. I'm Daphne..."

"...and I'm Iris Evans."

"When did you get to know Harry?"

"Oh, we met him when he came here a few weeks ago."

"And then we met Hermione as well."

"Aren't they nice together?" they asked.

Petunia shook her head. "I don't know how anybody can listen to you talking that way, but yes, they are nice. How did you know I'm here?"

"We wanted to see Harry. He wasn't where he stays normally, so we thought he may have been visiting you. Dudley told us it was the other way round."

"Harry was just going to tell his aunt about his school years. You may like to hear that as well," suggested Hermione, placing a cup of tea in front of each of them.

Harry started telling. He told of the troll in his first year and of his first meeting with Voldemort. The twins only listened with deep concentration, but Petunia seemed to live his story as he was telling it. She was really worried for him.

He then told them of the Basilisk and the Chamber of Secrets during the second year; fighting Dementors and rescuing Sirius during the third year; the Triwizard tournament and the return of Voldemort during the fourth; Umbridge and the battle at the ministry during the fifth and then the retrieval of the dark objects during his sixth. Hermione also added bits and pieces, especially when Harry tried to gloss over his bravery and his care for his friends. She wanted them all to fully appreciate him and was not ready to let these parts be skipped.

"So, you two had more than your fair share of adventure," noted the twins.

"It's just horrible that such small children had to endure this fate. Couldn't that Dumbledore of yours prevent these?" Petunia asked.

"Dumbledore was a great man, doing great mistakes as well. His intentions were good, but he sometimes failed, just like any man," said Harry.

"His views may have clouded his understanding of what was happening during his last years. I'm sure he would have prevented most of these if only he was aware at the time," commented Hermione.

The clock chimed. Petunia paled. "It is quite late for me to stay any longer. Vernon doesn't like it when I'm not home by dinner time. I must go home now."

"Just one question, please," said Harry,

Petunia looked at him. She was worried about what he might be asking. "Can you tell me how come you have your own car now?"

She smiled in relief. "When we returned home, after spending almost a year in hiding, I felt I needed my own car, so that I won't have to rely on Vernon or on public transportation only, especially in case of emergency. Vernon agreed, even if reluctantly."

She then took her leave of Hermione and of the twins. "We still have a lot to discuss," she told Harry. "I hope we can meet again soon." She hugged him again while he hugged her back quite reluctantly.

There was a pregnant silence after Petunia left. Each was thinking of the visit and its implications. The twins were also thinking of Harry's stories.

"You know – nothing of what happened to you at school would have been allowed to happen at Beauxbatons. I'm sure they would have sacked the headmistress and even the whole staff had they allowed any student to be even slightly endangered," commented Iris after a while.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, Harry. During our fourth year there was a minor incident: a pair of pixies managed to enter the school ground and harass a student. The whole incident lasted less than half an hour and the pixies were banished. Yet we had a committee research the whole school security system and the way all the security regulations were enforced. Luckily, they only found a minor problem on the part of the janitor. She was fined a week's salary. Had it been the headmistress... I don't really know what they would have done, but it would have surely become a major scandal. Even that pixie incident got front-page coverage in the papers for more than a week. You and you friends were put into life-threatening situations several times and nobody seemed to care. That's almost unbelievable!"

Daphne was thinking on a different direction. "No wonder you and Hermione are so close. After going several times through such experiences I would expect no less."

Hermione didn't like the serious atmosphere created by the stories. Ever since she and Harry found each other in the romantic sense, she felt too happy to dwell on past troubles. "What did you have in mind when you were looking for us?" she asked.

"Nothing special, really. We only thought to spend some time with you."

"Would you like to go to the cinema? There are a few new movies I'd like to see."

Harry's head shot up. "Movies? I've never seen one."

The twins turned "all business". "There's a remake of 'Emanuelle' playing nearby. It may give you some ideas."

Hermione frowned. She didn't remember ever reading about this film which meant that either it was too new, but a remake wouldn't, or it was not appropriate for her age at the time. "What is it about?" she asked cautiously.

"Oh, just love"

"Physical love,"

Harry seemed oblivious to the kind of film and the twins were very persuasive. Hermione agreed quite reluctantly.

Three hours later they were led back into the house by the giggling twins. Both Harry and Hermione were Weasley-red on the face, yet their hands were firmly clasped. "Bye" chimed one of the twins. "See you tomorrow," added the others. They mounted their car and were gone.

Harry still felt unable to look Hermione in the eye.

"I didn't know it was THAT kind of film..." he said.

"Neither did I..." She glanced at him under lowered lashes and noticed how excited he was. "We may consider it an educational experience, though," she added.

"Educational?" he finally dared look at her.

"Yes. It is like an advanced version of 'The Talk'. Don't you think so?"

"Well... I can see your point..."

"I can see your... much larger than a point," she smirked.

"Don't you think we should exercise what we've just learned?" he got into the playful mood.

"By all means. We shouldn't waste such precious learning."

They smiled sheepishly at each other and went to the bedroom.


	8. Chapter 8 Hogwarts Letter

**12.8.98 – Wednesday**

**Chapter 8 – Hogwarts Letter**

Harry woke up feeling somewhat cold. He noticed immediately that Hermione was no longer at his side. He then heard her moving in the bathroom. He approached the bathroom door. "Are you OK?" he asked her softly.

"I... don't feel so well," she admitted.

Harry frowned. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

There was a moment of silence. "Actually, there is. I'd like you to apparate to my parents' house. Go to my bathroom there. In the cupboard under the sink there's a pack of tampons. I need it now."

Harry couldn't just leave her there if she didn't feel well. He opened the door, finding Hermione sitting on the toilet seat.

"What is it?" he asked, concern showing on his face.

"It's nothing really..."

"Are you pregnant?" Hope and fear were mixed in his voice.

"Not at all. Quite the contrary, really."

She could hardly refrain from laughing seeing his face change to show some disappointment.

"What is it, then?"

"It's just my period, silly."

Harry looked bewildered. He had heard some talks about the subject, but it was still a mystery for him, never having had a serious explanation about sex.

"I'll explain later, Please bring those tampons now!"

Harry obliged. He only put some cloths on himself, just in case her parents would see him, before doing as requested. A few minutes later he looked even more confused after seeing what Hermione did with the tampons.

He prepared some breakfast while Hermione got dressed. She didn't want to talk about it during breakfast, though Harry was anxious to understand.

"What do you know about the menstrual period?" she asked him, once the table was cleared.

"Not much. Just a few bits and pieces some boys were mentioning in the dormitory. I'm not even sure how much of it was true."

Hermione sighed. "I'm not sure I can really do a good job at telling this. I know we are already living like couple and we hide nothing from each other, yet… It's still somewhat embarrassing… Maybe it's better if I first give you a book."

Harry laughed at that. It was purely Hermione – looking for answers on everything in books. She frowned at him at first, but soon joined him, understanding what made him laugh.

They were interrupted by the sound of tapping on the window. He walked to the window, noticing two owls waiting impatiently on the window sill. Once he opened the window, one of the owls flew to Hermione, while the other perched itself in front of Harry.

He took the letter from the owl, recognizing immediately the green ink and the wax seal.

"These are from Hogwarts," he noted. "I wonder why we got them. We are already too old for school."

Hermione looked up from her letter. "I've talked with Professor McGonagall the other day and she said that all students who were supposed to graduate last year would be invited to finish their studies, as the war and the Carrows prevented most from really learning anything. Some, like us and Ron, were not even able to be present."

Harry frowned. "I don't fancy going to class with Ginny, especially now that she is no longer my girlfriend. It would be awkward."

"Do you fancy going to class with me?" she asked mischievously.

"I fancy you and I want to be near you whenever possible," he answered seriously.

"Well, in that case you must go to Hogwarts next month, as I intend to go there," she told him with a smile.

Harry started reading the letter, skipping the preamble to the main text.

"_All our students who were unable to finish their studies due to the war taking place last year are invited to come and do so during the coming term. You will be allotted separate lodging and will study in separate classes from the seventh year students, especially since they have to repeat much of their sixth year studies._

_Term will start on September 15__th__, due to some restoration and modernization works which are being done now._"

There was an attached list of things to purchase before term started and a train ticket as well. Hermione was looking through the list with an enthusiastic expression. Harry enjoyed looking at her, ignoring his own letter. She looked so charming when she was concentrating, he thought.

The door bell chimed. Harry opened the door to find his twin cousins there. He let them in and they joined Hermione in the kitchen.

"Have you recovered from last night's film?" Iris asked mischievously.

Both Harry and Hermione blushed deep red.

"Oh, I understand that you were inspired by the film," commented Daphne, just as mischievously.

"Well, we were lucky. I've got my period early this morning," said Hermione.

"Oh!" both twins gasped.

"Do you have any book to help Harry understand this?" Hermione added.

"We have no book," they answered. They then looked at each other and added: "but we can teach him ourselves, if you like."

Harry looked a bit frightened at the prospect, but Hermione smiled. She wasn't sure how much he would learn, but she was sure it would be fun to watch.

"We can do it outside, at the pool…"

"…It's a sunny day and it would be a shame to waste it."

Hermione cast some privacy charms at the hedges, just to be safe, and the twins removed all their clothes even before she finished. Harry followed suit, quite reluctantly while Hermione kept her knickers.

The twins brought a pencil and a few pieces of paper from the house. They sat on a bench and asked harry to sit between them while Hermione sat a bit farther, watching them through half closed eyelids.

It took them more than half an hour to make Harry understand. They pointed to their bodies throughout the explanation, making Harry blush repeatedly, until he seemed to have understood all they wanted him to know. Once they were satisfied with their pupil, they both jumped into the water.

Harry came to sit near his fiancée. "I've never imagined that the female body is so complex," he told her. He then looked at her pale face. "Are you feeling well?"

Hermione smiled at him lovingly. "As well as can be expected at this time."

Harry looked concerned. "Are all girls… e… women suffering during their period?"

"Not really. The period affects us all, yet some hardly feel it, some really suffer and most are just uncomfortable. I usually don't feel well only the first day and then I'm almost back to normal."

"But we can't…" he blushed.

"We can, only it may become too messy and uncomfortable. It's best if we refrain for a few days." Harry looked somewhat disappointed. She smiled at him and added teasingly: "Mom also told me that after refraining a few days, sex becomes much better." She smiled some more as his face reddened again.

"When would you like to shop for Hogwarts?" he asked her, changing subject.

"Oh! You're going back to Hogwarts? That's great!" commented the twins, coming out of the water.

"What's so great about it?" asked Harry.

"First – the mere fact that it reopens after having suffered so much destruction during the battle…"

"Then – you will be able to finish your studies in a much better environment than the one you started them in."

"I'm really looking forward to it," commented Hermione.

"Will you be able to sleep together there?" Iris asked.

Harry frowned. Although he was sharing bed with Hermione for less than two weeks he no longer considered sleeping alone as an option.

"I'm not sure," Hermione said. "Hogwarts has facilities for married couples as it was quite common to marry early a few hundred years ago, but as we are only engaged and not even betrothed, according to the magical customs, I'm not sure. I'll have to check it."

"Why won't you get married and stop worrying about different rules?" commented Iris.

Harry looked somewhat unsure. "You know that money is not a problem," added Daphne.

"Well… We have not given it too much thought," started Harry.

"We haven't talked about it, except for agreeing we are going to get married to each other," explained Hermione.

"We can help you plan…"

"…but you must first decide if you want the wedding before school…"

"…or after."

Harry looked at Hermione and they seemed to reach an agreement without words. "I thought that Hermione deserved the most extravagant wedding I could afford, much like the 'Potter style' your Dad talked about, yet I'm not fond of such big events where I'll know practically nobody, and Hermione also seems to prefer something modest…"

"How do you know that?" asked Daphne.

"You have not talked to each other for a few minutes." added Iris.

Harry sighed. "I don't know. Some of our friends say that we seem to understand each other so well as if we are soul bound, yet we aren't, as far as we both know."

"That's interesting. You should check a little deeper, I believe," commented Daphne.

"What would you suggest then?" asked Iris.

"Maybe a simple ceremony, with just some close friends and relatives. It could be at a church, as most of the family is not magical," Harry suggested.

"And no press," added Hermione.

"We shall handle this."

"Leave this to us," the twins said.

"When do you start school?"

"On the fifteenth of September," replied Harry.

"Then we should aim to set the wedding during the last days of August or the beginning of September, to let you have a week or two for your Honeymoon."

Harry seemed surprised, but he looked at Hermione. Seeing her smiling contentedly, he smiled as well.

"Ok, you two – start making the guest list, while we tackle the rest." Iris was all business now, despite being completely nude. She gave the couple a piece of paper and a pen, then sat down on the ground near her twin with some more sheets of paper and a pencil.

It didn't take long for Harry and Hermione to finish the list. It wasn't long at all. Aside from the friends that they had at their engagement dinner they also added the Weasleys, the Tonks (mainly due to Teddy being Harry's god-son), Hagrid and McGonnagal. Hermione had a few aunts and uncles to add while Harry put the Evans in (of course) and quite reluctantly – the Dursleys as well. He then recalled his past and added another name – Mrs. Figg. She had always been nice to him and she had even tried to alert Dumbledore to the problems he had been facing with his relatives as a child. She deserved to see him happy.

The twins were also advancing in their planning. They presented a schedule which could allow them to get married before the end of August. It was quite tight and depended upon finding an appropriate place and getting Hermione's bridal dress on time, but it was feasible. Hermione also spent a few minutes describing her ideal dress for the occasion, so that they could help her search for it.

The twins then jumped into the pool, swam for a few minutes, got out, dried themselves, got dressed and went to make the necessary arrangements. "You two get dressed as well. We shall call you as soon as we find what you need so that you can approve," they said before parting.

Harry prepared lunch for Hermione and himself. They were still finishing their meal when the phone rang. "We found a nice church where you can wed and some dresses which you may like. If you apparate or floo to The Leaky Cauldron, we can pick you there in a few minutes."

"Don't you think my parents should also be present?" asked Hermione.

"We know they trust you. You may still like them to help you, but they won't be able to join you on such a short notice. We suggest you two come first and make the preliminary arrangements and then involve them only if you need some advice or want their final approval."

Hermione agreed. A few minutes later they joined the twins at the Leaky Cauldron.

They first went to a shop on Diagon Alley specializing in bridal dresses. While most of the dresses displayed were too extravagant, dismissed by Hermione on first sight, there were two simpler dresses which looked very elegant in a modest way. Harry approved them. He would have approved anything that Hermione liked, yet he appreciated the silent elegance of these dresses and agreed to her choice wholeheartedly.

Daphne escorted him out of the shop. "You're not supposed to see your bride in her wedding dress before the wedding," she told him. "Besides, you also need appropriate clothing."

She led him to Madam Melkin's without farther ado. Harry chose a tuxedo there, along with the matching trousers, white dress-shirt and tie. They didn't look any different than their muggle counterparts, yet they were charmed to keep the wearer comfortable under any circumstances.

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	9. Chapter 9 Preparations

**A/N: Sorry it took so long, but I just couldn't update my stories for about two weeks due to some mysterious error. It seems to be working fine again now.**

**Chapter 9 - Preparations**

The four met at the ice-cream parlor when they finished shopping and enjoyed a quick refreshing cup before the twins dragged the couple back to their car.

"Let's go to the church!" they announced.

Even with magic-induced green lights, going from central London to the suburb church took some time. The twins told Harry and Hermione about the church:

"It is quite near to a mansion where we had a few modeling sessions. It looks very elegant and we were intrigued to visit it. When we did, we found its interior even more interesting. We stopped there on our way to London and checked if there are any openings for weddings. They have no opening any morning, but they still have a few afternoons."

Daphne, who was driving, kept silent most of the way, while Iris continued elaborating about that church until they could actually see it. The medium-sized church stood in the center of a large, well groomed garden and reminded Hermione of a cathedral she had once seen. The interior walls sported many paintings, large stained-glass windows and additional electric lighting which made the place even more beautiful. Harry liked the place and Hermione adored it. The church fit perfectly in her childhood dreams of marriage and happily-ever-after. She was sure her parents would approve.

"May I help you?" They heard a man asking as he approached them.

They turned to see a tall slim man who looked about sixty. His hair was mostly white and his collar indicated his affiliation with the church. He seemed to have identified the twins as he approached. "Ah, Miss and Miss Evans. It's a pleasure to meet you again. And these must be your cousin and his fiancée…"

He moved his gaze towards Harry and stopped in mid sentence with his mouth agape. He recovered quickly enough. "Mr. Harry Potter – I feel honored to have you in this humble church."

"How do you know me?" Harry blurted.

"Aren't you the famous 'Boy-Who-Lived'? Didn't you just vanquish He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named only a few weeks ago? You saved us all, muggles and magicals alike. It's an honor to meet you in person."

"Then you are…"

"A wizard, just like your two charming cousins. I've felt better living like a muggle and using my magical abilities only when needed to help others."

Hermione eyed him with interest. "Don't you find religion and magic somewhat incompatible?" she asked.

"Not at all. Religion is mainly about loving each other, living modestly and helping those who need help. While most pureblood families drifted very far from these concepts, they are not contradictory with magic itself. The whole creation is actually the work of Godly Magic, if you just think of it."

Hermione seemed eager to discuss the idea farther, but the twins intervened. "We are actually here to plan a wedding. May we proceed?"

The vicar smiled. "By all means! Please follow me to the office."

After talking a bit more, it became evident that both the church and the vicar were well suited for the kind of wedding ceremony they had in mind. The vicar ("Call me just Mathew"), after overcoming his initial surprise to see Harry, acted very nicely with the couple, disregarding their "war hero" status and treating them just as a young couple seeking to get married. Noticing how Harry felt uncomfortable with his fame, Mathew also offered to handle all the form filling at the ministry for them. Hermione eventually called her parents and asked them to come to the church before finalizing the details.

Harry had a nagging feeling that the man looked familiar. He felt safe near him but couldn't understand why, and he noticed that Hermione felt the same.

They made a guided tour of the church while waiting for the Grangers. Mathew enjoyed explaining each of the paintings and the decorations and telling about the history of each. He talked so interestingly that Harry found himself listening to all the details, quite in contrast to how he used to behave in his history of magic lessons. He didn't even feel the passage of time until the Grangers arrived.

Hermione was proud to present her parents and the vicar greeted them warmly. "I'm father Mathew McGonagall, but you may call me just Mathew."

His words clicked into Harry's mind, yet Hermione was the first to respond. "Aren't you related to Professor McGonagall of Hogwarts?" she asked.

"Very closely related. I'm her younger brother. She was speaking very highly of you, Miss Granger, for the last seven years. I can now see why."

Hermione blushed at his words.

/*\/*\/*\

Harry and Hermione spent the evening going over catalogues of wedding invitations in every style imaginable, along with her parents. The twins dropped these on them after finishing the other arrangements. None of the designs seemed to appeal to the young couple.

"Why won't you design your own invitation?" suggested Hermione's mother.

"I've never tried something like this!" protested Hermione.

"You never tried being married either," her mother pointed out, making the young woman blush deeply.

"I believe some of the graphical programs on our computer could help you at this. Just give it a try," her father encouraged.

"OK, I'll try it in the morning," Hermione replied. "I'm too tired to concentrate now. This has been quite a long day, you know…"

By the time they reached bed, Harry was too tired to even mind her period. They just snuggled into each other and fell into a peaceful slumber.

Two days later they already had their invitations printed, using their own original design with some modifications suggested by the twins and by the printer. The invitations were printed on parchment that looked like rich paper and decorated with delicate gilded flowers. It gave the impression of richness and nobility without showing off. They spent another day just addressing and signing the invitations and then sending them off via royal mail or owl mail as appropriate.

The twins had already found a good catering company for the reception which was planned to be held in the garden surrounding the church. They also made sure to have a large tent ready for erection on site in case the weather didn't cooperate. Harry could only admire their organizational skills, well rivaling Hermione's.

Mathew also called. "I've visited the ministry to set the papers right and I need you to sign some of them. Would you like to visit the church or would you prefer that I visit you?" Harry noticed that he sounded excited.

"We need to go to London tomorrow for our final measurements. We can pass by the church on our way," he replied.

"Tomorrow is a very busy day for me. I'd rather finish this before tomorrow. Do you mind if I pop for a short visit?"

"Not at all. You are welcome any time." Harry gave the exact address. "You may even apparate into the backyard," he added. "It is only visible from the house, so it is quite safe."

Mathew arrived in the evening, using his car. "I'd rather not apparate. It is not too comfortable…" Both Harry and Hermione nodded their agreement. "…and it would raise too many questions if anybody happens to see me."

They invited him to the sitting room, where the Grangers were already seated.

"Most of the ministry is still not functioning," Mathew started. "Many of the workers were Voldmort's supporters – they have either fled the country or been arrested. Some others have either been harmed or lost dear ones – they are still recovering. This means that many functions in the ministry are not functioning properly, which explains why some things which should have happened didn't."

Harry looked at him quite perplexed. It was clear that the man had something in mind, yet it was unclear what he was aiming at.

Mathew stopped for a moment and looked at the young couple. "Have you ever felt that you could communicate with each other without words?"

They both nodded.

"How long has it been happening?"

Hermione shrugged. She felt as if that has always been the case. "I think it happened soon after the troll event," Harry noted.

Mathew nodded, as if he already knew about it. "That seems to fit…"

"Is there something wrong?" asked Mrs. Granger worriedly.

Mathew smiled. "Nothing's wrong. I just found out something extraordinary. Under normal circumstances, the ministry would have sent them several owls already, but the circumstances are not normal yet." He sighed deeply and then turned to the youngsters. "You two don't really have to get married."

A frown crossed Hermione's face. "Why?" she asked.

Mr. McGonagall looked ready to give a long lecture. "When a magical child is born, he or she is magically written in the book of the living. If that child has a soul-mate, their names are written there as well, or just a star, if the soul-mate is not yet born. This is not too common, you should know, yet nobody is informed of this before adulthood. I don't know why, but this is the custom."

Hermione's mind was working furiously. Did he mean to tell them they were soul-mates? That could explain their special way of communicating. She had already read about soul bonds of all kinds, yet none fitted her experience with Harry. Was it something else?

Mathew continued. "Soul mates can live their whole life without knowing each other. They will probably feel somewhat unhappy and think that something is missing in their lives. This is probably why the ministry uses to inform them once they reach maturity. Soul mates, although fated for each other, do not form a bond until the appropriate conditions are met. These conditions are either some life threatening events, like your troll encounter, prolonged close proximity, like you have shared during your long friendship, or close physical relations."

Both youngsters blushed at the last statement.

"This is not the kind of bond that formed between you," he continued. "According to the records at the ministry, you were not born soul mates. You became such due to repeated acts of mutual life saving. Each time one person saves another, they share a bit of their souls. If this is repeated enough times, the two souls become indistinguishable from each other. They are no longer two souls – they are one soul shared by two people."

Hermione frowned. "Ron was also with us, saving both of us almost as many times as we did. Wouldn't that create a similar bond?"

"It might, but it didn't seem to do so," explained the vicar. "There are actions which can undo the bits of soul sharing. These are usually acts of betrayal or acts that cause extreme anguish. Such acts undo the sharing of bits of souls very effectively, as long as there are not too many bits shared. Has Ron treated you as kindly as Harry?"

Hermione only shook her head. It was clear now that no bond could be created between her and Ron, even before he left them during the last winter.

Harry was still confused, but Hermione seemed to become excited.

"The act of marriage makes a symbolic connection between two souls. Soul-mates don't need it, as their souls are already connected. You two have taken this one step further – you share a soul. One can't make your connection any stronger with a ceremony." Mathew stopped talking and looked at his audience. They all looked somewhat shocked.

Hermione recovered quickly. "Why can't I feel his feelings and his thoughts, then?"

Mathew sighed. "It's not as simple as that. I tried to present the situation in simple terms, yet the details are quite complex. I've borrowed this book from the ministry to let you study the situation." He took from his pocket a small book, enlarged it and put it on the table. "I promised to bring it back by the end of this month," he added.

"Does this mean they should not get married?" Mr. Granger asked, quite worried.

"Not really. The ceremony itself does nothing to bring them any closer – they already are as close as can be. It is more for the rest of us, really. It makes their connection official in the muggle world and announces it in the magical world as well."

"Do you know when our relations changed to become a bond, one which is magically recognized?" asked Hermione.

"I had no time to delve in research, yet it seems to be quite recent, as the records preceding the end of the war didn't refer to your connection as a bond, only as mutual life debts. Nobody seems to have taken care of the filing since then, yet the current records state that you are fully bonded. Do you recall any event which could have pushed you together, making the final step of the bond?"

Both youngsters blushed. "It may be the time we have discovered our love for each other," commented Harry shyly.

Mathew decided not to ponder any deeper.

Iris and Daphne were thrilled to hear about the bond. "It was just natural, noticing the way you acted," explained Iris. "You know each other much closer than any wedded couple we've ever met."

The coming days flew quickly. Hermione and Harry spent their time studying the book about the bonds. Once unshrunk, it turned out to be a large and thick tome full of ancient knowledge, some of it quite cryptic. Hermione enjoyed the challenge, yet Harry was frustrated by the amount of work it required.

The twins, true to their promise, took care of all the arrangements, consulting with the pair only when they needed their opinions. By the last week of August, everything was ready: Hermione got her dress, Harry had his clothes ready, the catering and the decorations were all set, Mathew had the church ready for what he considered to be a very special wedding and all of the guests had confirmed their arrival. The twins even took the extra precaution of sending each of the magical guests some suggestions for correct dressing in such a muggle event, along with appropriate photos.

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	10. Chapter 10 Wedding

28.8.98 - Friday

**Chapter 10 - Wedding**

Friday morning arrived. Luna and Ginny came early to the Granger residence and started helping Hermione with her hairdo and her makeup, as Hermione refused to go to any hairdresser or makeup artist for the preparations. Harry found himself sitting with his soon-to-be father-in-law watching the morning shows on the TV.

"Have you found anything interesting in that book about the bond?" Mr. Granger asked.

"Quite a few things, yet I'm not sure what really applies to us. It seems like the bond needs a few months to stabilize and our bond is too new for us to be able to know anything for sure. You already know we can communicate with each other silently. I can now sense some of her feelings as well, but not always. There were also chapters about some enhancements to our magic, but they can only be realized once the bond stabilizes." Harry sounded apologetic.

"Don't worry about that. Couples need time to adjust to each other. It took me a few months before I could sleep the whole night with my wife in the same bed and it took her a bit longer."

"We sleep peacefully since the first time," noted Harry.

Mr. Ganger raised a brow. "Are you as compatible on other aspects as well?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well… sex. It also takes some time before both partners enjoy it equally. Some couples never actually achieve this goal."

Harry blushed. "I'm not sure Hermione would like me to talk about this…"

"I'm not asking for details, you know. I only try to understand what makes your relationship special."

"Oh…" Harry thought for a moment. "Well, I've always tried to make sure that she enjoyed sex just as much as I did. I know that she wants us to be together as often as I do, if not more so and she is actively encouraging me to explore…"

"I'm glad you both enjoy this aspect of being a couple. It's a blessing to be so compatible. Don't ever underestimate your luck..."

Mr. Granger thought for another moment before he talked again. "Are there any negative effect of the bond?"

Harry was quite reluctant to answer. "I'm not sure if it is considered negative, but… It looks like if one of the bond mates dies then the other dies soon as well…"

"Why is it?"

"It's not clear. We know that one can survive with even a very small fraction of one's soul, so losing half of your soul should not cause death. It is something else, maybe something not even magical that causes this. It is known that couples who are very close, even among muggles, experience similar phenomena. Once one dies, the other mate usually follows within a year, regardless of health issues."

They sat silently for a few minutes while the TV continued its programs as usual. None even looked at it, each deep in his own thoughts.

"Hi, guys. Aren't you getting ready?" They were surprised by the twins' arrival.

"Eh… There's still time. Isn't there?" Harry said as if awakened from slumber.

"You need to be ready in an hour and a half. You need to shower, shave and dress-up. Don't forget to tidy up your hair as well. You will need this time…"

Harry grumbled and stood up, ready to go to his room. Mr. Granger put his arm on Harry's shoulder in a comforting gesture as they both went to their respective rooms to get ready.

The twins took Harry in their car to church, where he was joined immediately by Ron and Neville in the groom's waiting room. They didn't have to wait too long. A few minutes later, Iris asked them to walk out and face the altar.

Hermione, in a magnificent white dress with some gold trimmings, looked more beautiful than ever when she walked to the altar, attracting all eyes to her beauty and elegance. Harry could hardly breathe when he looked at her. His heart was overflowing with emotions and he was also missing his parents, whom he would have loved to be there as well. He knew that both Aunt Petunia and his uncle John were present, yet they were no substitute for his parents. His eyes were suddenly moist with emotions. Hermione came closer. He took her hands in his, looked in her beautiful chocolate eyes and calmed down immediately. Still holding both hands, they turned to face the altar.

It was a simple muggle ceremony. They exchanged their vows and were warmly congratulated by the guests before walking hand-in-hand to the reception area for a very happy festive meal.

"Aren't there more guests than we have invited?" asked Hermione.

"There are," confirmed Harry, noticing Lavender, the Patil twins and some more of their class and house mates.

"We thought you deserved a few more guests to celebrate properly, so we invited your classmates, the Quidditch team and the DA members," explained Daphne who was sitting across the table.

Harry looked around. The Grangers were sitting next to Hermione, looking very happy. His uncle John Evans was sitting next to him, along with his wife, both looking very pleased. The Dursleys were sitting on the other side of the table. Aunt Petunia was looking at him with tears of joy in her eyes while Vernon was only looking at his plate, as if not wanting to see anybody. It took Harry a moment to recognize the young man sitting between them. Dudley had really trimmed up. He was still tall and wide but no longer fat. His build was quite athletic, actually. Dudley was not looking at him or at Hermione. He was looking at one of the guests, whom Harry couldn't identify at that moment.

They soon started mingling, trying to talk with each of the guests. Professor McGonagall, wearing a conservative suit, was beaming at her two favorite students. Hagrid was sitting on a solid low stool of generous size, failing to look inconspicuous. He was wearing a black suite with a white dress-shirt and a black tie, just as suggested in the twins' letter, but his size made it quite difficult for him to merge in. Professor Flitwick had no such problem. He merged quite nicely despite his diminutive size.

Dudley approached him. "Congratulations, Harry. I'm so proud of you! Both of you, actually. I've been hearing about your fights and your bravery all through our hiding. It made me proud knowing that I'm related to you."

Harry felt uncomfortable at the praise. "Thanks… I suppose. You look quite well, you know," he complimented his cousin.

"Well… it took me some time to realize that most people don't appreciate overweight or bullying. I may be somewhat slow, but I learned my lesson. I adjusted my eating habits and started exercising. It seems to have helped." He stopped and hesitated a moment before continuing. "Do you think that girl would even consider me if we get acquainted?" Harry followed his gaze to Suzan Bones.

"She's a very nice girl from an excellent family. I'm sure she'll be polite, at least," Harry assured him.

"Would you introduce me? Please…"

They approached the group of friends who were chatting. Harry made the introductions, noticing some curiosity towards his cousin as well as some appreciating glances from the girls. He couldn't stay much longer there, as Hermione was already dragging him to meet some of her relatives.

Two hours later, Harry could no longer remember who congratulated him, who hugged him and with whom he talked. He vaguely remembered being hugged by Mrs. Weasley – this was the kind of hug one could not easily forget! He also remembered being kissed by Fleur. She had used her full Veela allure at that moment, making all the other men dumbstruck with adoration and lust. Harry and Hermione only laughed at the scene, not being affected at all.

Most guests had already left when Harry noticed uncle Vernon rising from his seat for the first time. Vernon walked towards him, his face quite red. Harry could hardly suppress his urge to grab his wand while Hermione was already holding hers behind his back.

Vernon extended his hand towards Harry. "Well, boy, you are no longer a boy, really. You are a fine young man, Harry, and a Hero as well, if I heard correctly, along with your new wife. Congratulations to the both of you!"

He then lowered his voice, still holding Harry's hand. "I still think you are a freak, you know, but in a good way…"

He winked at Harry, turned around and went back to his seat, leaving the young couple dumb-struck. Petunia approached them before they could recover.

"Hermione, Harry – I wish you all the happiness in the world. You deserve it, after all that you have been through. Please come to visit us once you return from your honeymoon. It looks like Vernon has finally accepted you now, after you have removed the threat to his family."

"We shall come," promised Hermione, as Harry didn't seem to find his voice yet.

"Where will you spend your honeymoon?"

"In France, at the Mediterranean coast. Fleur's family has a summer-house there and they invited us to use it," Harry told his aunt, motioning towards the beautiful blond. She was surprised to see such an extraordinary beauty.

The Evans twins approached them. "We hope you liked everything," one said.

"It was magnificent! We couldn't have made it any better even if we tried," Harry answered appreciatively and Hermione nodded.

"We also have good news for you…"

"We've just received an owl before we came…"

"The ministry informed us that we were recognized as witches with full rights in the magical world…"

"And it's all due to you, Hermione."

Hermione was so excited to hear the news that she hugged both twins tightly. Harry joined the group hug somewhat reluctantly, considering the very revealing dresses the twins were wearing.

"When do you leave for your honeymoon?" Iris asked.

"We take a plane to Marseille tomorrow morning. Mme. Delacour will be waiting for us at the airport," Hermione responded.

"Then where do you stay tonight?"

"Mr. Granger made a reservation for us at a luxury hotel near the airport," Harry told them, "and he is also taking us there. Hermione has already packed our luggage and it is in the car."

"Good to know," said Iris. "Now I can go with George and Daphne can go with whoever she chooses without worrying."

"When do you intend to come back?" Daphne asked.

"We shall return two weeks from now, so that we have a few days to prepare for school."

"Fine then. Will you stay with the Grangers until school starts?"

"Yes. I need to get to know my in-laws much better, and my wife…" Harry smiled at Hermione saying these words, "…wants to spend some more time with her parents, after having missed them so much."

"OK, we shall be in touch when you return…"

"…and use your honeymoon well!" They both winked at the blushing couple before leaving.

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	11. Chapter 11 Honeymoon

**Chapter 11- Honeymoon**

Mme. Delacour was already waiting for them as they came out of the airport. After congratulating them warmly and kissing Hermione's cheeks, she led them to a waiting limousine. The chauffeur put their luggage in the trunk of the car and opened the doors for them to enter. It was a magically enhanced vehicle of the greatest luxury and it made the ride seem very short, or it may have been just the pleasant company.

They stopped in front of a large mansion house, situated at the head of the cliff over the sandy beach of the Mediterranean. The house was surrounded by a magnificent formal garden as well as a less formal one, which also sported several fruit trees, some still heavy with plumes and apricots. Four house-elves were awaiting them at the door, all too eager to please. Mme. Delacour presented them: "These are Giscard – your butler, Giulio – the house keeper, Jean – the cook and Jeanette – the head maid. They will make sure your honeymoon is the best possible. Don't hesitate to call any of them if you desire anything."

She then took the young couple on a short tour of the house, showing them the master bedroom "where you will probably spend most of your time", the dining room, the library ("it only contains books relevant to your current visit, though," she explained. Harry laughed, while Hermione looked as if a grand prize has just been taken from her,) and the indoor swimming pool "where you don't need to bother about clothes – nudity is the norm here."

She then showed them the steps leading to the beach. "It is not really a private beach, but it is rarely visited by others, except for some nudists who have found this place secluded enough to enjoy nude sun-bathing. I assume you will do the same."

After inviting them for dinner the next Sunday, Mme. Delacour left them alone in the big house. Hermione rushed to the library with a bemused Harry following her at a leisurely pace. He found her scanning the books with a mixed smile and frown on her face. "It looks like all the books here are about courtship, love and sex. I never imagined there were so many serious books on these subjects, and more than half of them are magical."

She grabbed one of the books and opened it randomly, only to find a very detailed drawing of the male organ while sheathed in the female one during intercourse. Her face turned red and Harry was unable to hold his laughter. Hermione was annoyed. She turned her glare on him and started hitting his chest with her fists. Harry grabbed her hands and lowered his head towards her, capturing her lips in a kiss. It only took a moment for her annoyance to vanish. She kissed him back and let her hands remove his shirt, while he was handling her shirt similarly.

A few moments later they were practicing the exact details of the drawing. Hermione was lying on the table with Harry nestled over her, pumping repeatedly into her willing body. "I love you, my darling wife," he smirked into her ear. "And I love you, my gorgeous husband," she replied. Soon enough there was no more talking. Only grunts and moans could be heard, besides the sound of skin beating against skin and the sound of their sex-juices enhancing the movements until they both reached their climax.

"I think it is the first time you're doing it in a library," Harry smiled at her as soon as he caught back his breath.

Hermione smiled back. "If we want to benefit from this library we may ask to house-elves to put some cushions in here, so we may practice each chapter. Don't you agree, my husband?"

"I sure do, my dear wife…"

As expected, they spent most of their time in the bedroom, although the library also got a lot of activity as well as the pool. Even the dining table had found some (unconventional) use, when some chocolate syrup was left over. They even christened the beach, after casting some privacy spells, but found the sand to be a nuisance.

Sunday noon they got an owl, reminding them of their dinner invitation. The limousine was waiting for them in the evening, taking them to the Delacour residence at the outskirts of Paris, spending only ten minutes on the way.

They found some familiar faces around the dinner table. Besides their hosts they saw Gabrielle, who started looking a lot like Fleur but acted much lovelier; John Evans with his boyfriend; Viktor Krum, who apologized for not being able to attend the wedding ("I vos on an official tour and 'ad a game that same evening in Moscow,") and both Evans twins.

While the Delacours acted discretely, not asking any questions that might embarrass the young couple, the twins were anything but discrete. "Have you visited the country around? Have you gone shopping?" they asked.

"No, we were somewhat busy," Harry replied.

"They have a very nice library there," Hermione added.

"Oh, we know…"

"We actually helped selecting the books."

Both Hermione and Harry blushed deep crimson.

"You should do some shopping, though…"

"…even if your other occupations are much more…"

"…interesting."

"Why?" asked Harry.

"Your in-laws will be disappointed if you don't bring them some souvenirs…

"…unless you bring them a breathing one in nine months, that is."

The others laughed along understandingly, as the young couple blushed. Even Gabrielle seemed to understand everything way beyond what was expected of such a young girl.

"If you want to, I may join you tomorrow for a shopping tour. Daphne will probably be… busy," Iris said, noticing the glances between Daphne and Viktor.

They met with Iris the next morning in Marseille. They enjoyed touring the city, but Hermione didn't find anything she could bring to her parents. Except for swimwear, they could have bought everything there in any shopping mall in Europe.

"We can go somewhere else," suggested Iris. "It's called **Cap d'Agde** and is a famous naturist resort. I'm sure you may find some original souvenirs there."

Hermione looked shocked. "Do you mean we have to be naked, for everyone to see?"

"That's the general idea of nudism, you know. Yet everybody will also be naked for you to see."

"I'm not really interested in seeing nude people…"

Iris smiled mischievously. "You weren't so reluctant when you first visited my father, and he was a stranger for you, along with his friend, just as much as the people there may be."

Hermione knew she had no logical reason, yet she felt it was just not right to expose herself in front of strangers. She also knew that she would eventually do it.

Iris took them on side-along apparition to a secluded spot at the nudist city, where she urged the couple to undress, just as she was doing, putting their clothes into a large conjured side-bag.

They emerged from the secluded place into a pedestrian street full of shops, bars and restaurants. While nobody averted his eyes when they passed, nobody was paying them special attention either. With everybody naked around them, it only took Hermione a short while to forget the awkwardness and start enjoying the experience. She paid special attention to the young women around, although she looked at the men as well. She was glad to notice that most of the women around looked less attractive than she did. Her only real competition, as far as looks were considered, was actually Iris. She was also glad to notice that Harry was also among the best looking men around. Judging by the way some of the women looked at him, she was not the only one having that opinion.

They strolled along the road until they saw a shop for clothing, as absurd as it sounds when staying in such a place. Hermione noticed some colorful beach-dresses in the window and wanted to check them. The lady in the shop was actually wearing one of these. It was evident why such clothes were acceptable in this nudist resort. The dress was made of a kind of mesh, making it actually transparent, yet it hugged the body in a way that made it look more sexy .

"You can wear this over a bikini when going to a textile beach," the shop owner told Hermione. "We also have something for your man, if you want," she added.

They bought eventually several dresses: two each for Iris and Hermione and one with a tighter mesh for Hermione's mother. "This one is designed especially for more mature women, where a bit of support is more appreciated," the shop owner told them. They also bought two assorted tunics for the men: one for Harry and the other for his father in-law.

"I'm sure that your parents don't have anything even remotely similar," Iris assured Hermione.

"I should hope so," replied Hermione, although she wasn't really sure. She vaguely remembered overhearing her parents talk about some summer vacations before she was born. She just couldn't imagine them strolling in the nude, just as she was doing at the moment.

Iris couldn't stay for long. She soon left, promising to visit them once they returned home. The young couple stayed a bit longer, visiting the beach as well, before apparating back to their honeymoon home.

They spent the remaining days doing serious studies in the library and practicing what they learned in every imaginable place: in the gardens, at the pool, on the stairs and even on the roof. Most of the activity was in the bedroom, though. It was the most convenient location and the padding proved quite beneficial when practicing some of the more exotic positions.

The way back to England was anticlimactic. They left the sunny Mediterranean and went back to the gray, rainy and a bit gloomy England. The Grangers collected them at the airport and were anxious to hear as much as possible about the couple's voyage. Hermione told them a censored version of their honeymoon, not even mentioning the visit at the nudist city.

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**Please Review!**


	12. Chapter 12 Back to School

_A.N. Sorry for the delay. My old computer died and it took some time to buy a new one and restore everything into working order_

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**15.9.98**

**Chapter 12 - Back to School**

September 15th came just too fast. Harry and Hermione had their trunks packed and ready before joining the Grangers for breakfast. They enjoyed eating together for the last time, at least until the winter vacation. They were already at the door, preparing to leave for the train-station, when the phone rang. Mrs. Granger answered and then called the Potters. "It's for you..."

"Hi! It's Iris..."

"…and Daphne..."

"…and we wish you both a pleasant journey to school..."

"…and a very good year at Hogwarts. We have also talked to the headmistress. We hope she will have a nice surprise for you when come to school."

Hermione wanted to ask about it, but they just chimed "Bye!" together before disconnecting.

They reached platform 9¾ quite early. Harry wasn't surprised at all – he knew Hermione quite well and actually expected this. They settled into one of the front compartments and snuggled into each other while waiting for their friends to join them.

Luna was the first to arrive. She looked at them attentively before noting: "I see that your honeymoon was quite beneficial. You seem to be much more relaxed now."

Neville joined them soon enough, but Ron and Ginny only arrived at the last moment, as usual.

"I hoped Mom would let me drop out of school, now that George needs my help, but she wouldn't even hear of that. As if another year at school would change much…"

Ginny didn't complain at all. She just sat by Neville, holding his hand and looking perfectly content.

They tensed up about two hours later, when the door opened to reveal Draco Malfoy. He looked around before spotting Harry and Hermione. "Potter and Potter – I should have expected this!"

Ron was already grabbing his wand, yet Luna held his hand to restrain him. Draco ignored him. "I want to congratulate you both and wish you happy and long life together."

Both Potters nodded their acceptance, yet Draco had some more to say. "I also want to thank you for saving my life during the last battle, although I didn't deserve it. I know that I tried my best to make you both miserable and I'm sorry for it. Only after the war did I understand how wrong my behavior had been. I can't hope to gain your friendship, but I assure you I'm no longer your enemy and I hope we shall be able to start anew, leaving our past behind."

He extended his hand towards Harry, who shook it, although somewhat reluctantly, and Hermione did the same. They noticed that Goyle was not accompanying Malfoy, but refrained from commenting. Draco seemed to weigh something in his mind, and then shook his head, as if deciding it was not a good idea, before turning to leave. "Enjoy the trip," he said as he was leaving. "See you at Hogwarts!"

"He seemed to be lonely," commented Luna a few minutes later.

"I though he was going to ask to join us," Hermione added.

"Oh, I'm sure he wanted to, only he thought it was inappropriate, considering the past seven years," Luna replied.

"Do you think he meant it?" asked Ginny.

"I'm certain he did," Luna assured her.

Once at Hogsmead they could all see the Therestrals. Ginny looked surprised and Ron couldn't hold his tongue. "Bilmey! I never knew how magnificent these creatures were!"

As they approached Hogwarts they became silent. The castle looked as magnificent as ever, yet each of them remembered the events that took place there less than five months earlier. Their mood changed once again when they passed the gates. The castle and its grounds were decorated now with thousands of blinking colorful lights which gave it a very festive air and removed all gloomy memories, at least for a while.

Mr. Filch was standing near the doors to the great hall, wearing a new set of robes, and directed all eighth year students to a separate table at the back of the hall. The table was large enough to serve forty diners, yet it was less than half full by the time everybody came in. Draco seemed to be the only Slytherin boy who returned while some of their year-mates in the other houses had either fled the country during the previous year or perished. Yet those who arrived couldn't dwell on the past. They were generally happy to meet each other and curious about the coming term.

There were only thirty-one first-years this time due to the war, no doubt, and only five of them were sorted into Slytherin, while Gryffindor got twelve. Harry was almost sure all new Slytherins were muggle-born, as none of the children grown in magical families would want that house at the current time.

The meal was much better than Harry remembered. He was sure that the Elves had put extra efforts to make the students feel welcome. He finished his dinner with a delicious treacle tart, before the remains vanished and the headmistress stood up.

"This day has a very special significance," she said. "It is the first time we open the school after the war that raged within these walls during the previous term. Some of the older students have even played a role in that war, and I'm proud to say that they had shown more maturity than anybody had a right to expect, bringing honor to themselves and to the school. Some, unfortunately, didn't make it. We have now erected a special memorial for them near the lake, alongside the tomb of my mentor and a previous headmaster of this school – Albus Dumbledore."

Even sitting so far from the staff table, Harry noticed the tears in her eyes. She swallowed loudly and continued.

"Since those great and tragic events, we have worked very hard not only to restore the castle to its previous glory, but also to enhance and modernize it, without forgetting our ancient traditions on the way. We now have a fully functional indoor pool for the benefit of the students and the staff. We've also added a new separate building for muggle studies, where the newest muggle instruments can work unhindered by magic. A recreation room was added to each house, where muggle instruments like TV, DVD, music systems and computers were installed and are available for you to enjoy. Even personal MP3 instruments will function in these rooms, although they may not be useful anywhere else in the castle."

This announcement brought a lot of reactions. All muggle-born and muggle-raised students appreciated the news, while most pure-bloods looked quite bewildered. The headmistress seemed to be very proud of these new additions.

"Unfortunately, we have not been able to make cellular telephones work in Hogwarts, yet they don't seem to work even in muggle areas throughout most of this region, so Magic doesn't seem to be the main problem in this case," she added.

"There are probably no antennas within reception range," commented Hermione silently. "This region is so sparsely populated that there's no gain in such investment."

Most younger students were already falling asleep, so the headmistress finished quickly, only mentioning the bare essentials (forbidden forest, Filch) before sending the students to their beds. She asked the eighths year students to wait for her, though.

As soon as the other students left, Mrs. McGonagall approached them. "Hogwarts has made room for you near the astronomy tower. There are four dormitories and two rooms for married couples," she explained as she led them to their new place. "As you are all of age, there is no strict separation between the boys' and the girls' dormitories. You may visit freely, yet any inappropriate behavior will be punished," she added when they arrived.

Harry and Hermione settled into one of the couple rooms. Another couple – Huffelpuffs – settled into the other and the rest found their beds within their assigned dormitories. Hermione enjoyed the idea of christening their new room by a very sensuous session of love making. They were still wondering about the surprise that was mentioned by the twins.

They got their lesson schedule the next morning. There were some new names in the list, yet they didn't really mind, being too busy talking with some classmates whom they had not met since the battle, or even before it.

Their first lesson was transfiguration and they wondered who would teach it, as Professor McGonagall was now too busy in her new role to handle teaching duties as well. Harry and Hermione sat at one of the front tables with Neville and Ron at the adjacent table. They were quite surprised when Draco asked to join them, not having any of his old acquaintances in class.

The professor who entered the class looked very young. She was dressed in dark robes and her hair was hidden by the pointed hat she was wearing, which also shadowed her face, making it hard to identify.

"Good morning, class. I'm Professor Evans and I'm going to teach you some advanced transfiguration this year." Harry was sure he knew the voice but he just couldn't identify it. The professor removed her hat and then gave her hair a shake, letting it fall to her shoulders.

"That's much better now…" she mumbled. Harry gasped and noticed Hermione smirk at him. It was Daphne Evans – his cousin. He lost his concentration for a moment and almost missed her explanations about the transformation they were going to try during that lesson.

Daphne was good, he soon discovered. She explained everything clearly and precisely, demonstrated each and every step and also gave them full background theories before letting them try the transfiguration. Hermione was writing furiously in her notes, yet some of the male students seemed transfixed on the teacher.

Hermione was the first to succeed, as expected, followed by Harry and Draco with Padma being a close third. Neville was also quite quick to master the transfiguration, while Ron was among the last.

"Mr. and Mrs. Potter – I want to talk to you after class," Daphne said at the end of the lesson. They waited patiently for the other students to leave before approaching her desk.

"How do you like this surprise?" she teased them.

"It's quite a nice surprise," Harry answered.

"Don't think I will be soft on you, though. I actually expect you to be the best," she told Harry. She then glanced towards Hermione and added: "Well, maybe second best will do…"

"Is Iris here as well?" Hermione asked.

"I shouldn't tell you, you know…" she teased again, "but… Well, she is the muggle studies professor, though we may exchange places if we get a bit bored…"

"Won't professor McGonagall be angry if you do?" asked Hermione.

"She can't tell us apart yet, so she won't even notice…"

They didn't have muggle studies until the next day and they could be exempt from taking that course, now obligatory, due to their family background, yet both Potters were really interested to see how the subject would be taught, especially since they already knew the teacher.

They also had a new teacher for DADA – a former American auror who answered to the name John Smith. Harry assumed it was a cover name and Hermione agreed. This was just a too common name for a wizard. Draco chose not to sit near any of the "Golden Trio" for that lesson.

Professor Smith wanted to know of each student's experiences during the war, mainly ones concerning the subject matter. Harry and Hermione, having survived being subjected to some of the nastiest curses, got most of his attention, but Ron, Neville and some of the DA members got their fair share of attention too. The lesson finished just before it was Draco's turn to speak. He seemed to be extremely relieved when he noticed that his war experience would not be told yet. He was probably not too happy to tell about being a junior Death-Eater.

Just before leaving class, Professor Smith announced: "Next lesson would be at the pool. You all need to be physically fit to survive dangerous conditions and swimming is one of the best ways to get fit."

"We hadn't been instructed to bring swimming suits. I have none here!" complained Daphne Greengrass – one of the two Slytherin girls present.

"I'm sure nobody will complain if you enter the pool without a swim suit. Actually – that would be the best option even if you have one. And then – you can transfigure some other garments if you want to."

Daphne didn't look too happy with that reply, yet some of the boys smirked. It would be really interesting to see Daphne, as well as the other girls, wearing bikinis – or not.

They were the first to arrive to the muggle studies class. None of them was surprised to find a laptop computer there along with a large-screen TV, a DVD player and a modern stereo system. Another wall held a modern kitchen, including a mixer, a blender, a food processor, a microwave oven, a normal electric oven and a gas stove. It looked like somebody was quite serious at teaching the young magical generation about modern muggle life.

They were checking the DVD collection when a familiar voice asked them: "Do you like the variety?"

They turned around to find Iris smiling at them. She was wearing robes similar to her sister's and her hair was left loose over her shoulders.

"It looks like you've collected some very representative movies, as far as showing current muggle life is considered," Hermione replied. "Do you know how they managed to make these work at Hogwarts?" she asked.

"I don't know all the details. I know that some of these instruments had to be modified in ways similar to military equipment designed to withstand an atomic war. All components are radiation hardened and each electronic board is well shielded. It has not been tested with a class full of magical children, though. Let's hope it will keep working."

Iris proved to be just as good a teacher as her sister. She demonstrated the use of some kitchen utensils and let the pure-blood students try and use them. She finished the lesson by showing a funny clip on the TV, making her students eager for some more muggle information. Some of the boys were not really paying attention, though. They seemed to be drooling over the sexy teacher instead.

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**_Please Review!_**


	13. Chapter 13 Swimming

**AN:** Sorry for the delay, but RL tends to shuffle one's priorities at times. I hope to continue updating regularly.

**Chapter 13 - Swimming**

The next DADA lesson was held at the pool, as promised. Professor Jones, wearing only skimpy bathing shorts, explained the importance of body fitness even when using magic. "Now, if you are disarmed or just lose your wand, you are as good as dead if you are not able to dodge your opponent curses. Once you exercise some kinds of muggle fighting, you may even turn your disadvantage to an advantage, but only if you are really fit. Now, take off your robes and jump into the water!"

"We don't have swimsuits!" – it was Lavender who complained now.

The professor was about to answer when the door opened and the Evans twins came in, each wearing only a bathrobe. "Oh, we didn't know there was a lesson here. We shall leave if it isn't convenient…"

"On the contrary, ladies. I was really hoping you could help me persuade these up-tight girls to go into the water."

"Oh! What seems to be the problem?"

Daphne Greengrass stepped forward. "He wants us to undress but we have no swimsuits!"

"So? We have none either," both twins said, shedding their robes and exposing perfect naked bodies. "Is your body built in a different way, making you ashamed of it?"

The Slytherin girl seemed reluctant only for a second. "I'm not ashamed of my body and I really have nothing to hide," she said, not sounding as convinced as her words, yet she undid her robes and started unbuttoning her blouse.

"I'm not ashamed either. I'm not even ashamed of my war-scars!" Lavender declared and started undressing as well.

Hermione smiled at Harry as they both removed their clothes by magic, not even bothering with undressing. Soon everybody was naked except for Professor Smith, who urged them all into the water. "Why won't you undress as well?" asked Ron, getting some supporting glances from most of the girls.

The veteran auror seemed to contemplate for a moment and then removed his shorts and threw them near the corner of the hall, drawing some hushed comments from the students. "Now, all of you line along this side of the pool and we shall start the warming exercises," he ordered.

Draco seemed to stay at the far left of the group and to keep his left hand out of sight as much as he could. Hermione noticed him. She nodded to Harry as they both moved towards Draco. "Do you need any help with a glamour or a concealing charm?" she asked.

"Nothing I tried can hide this mark!" Draco spitted with despair.

"Mind if I try?" she asked again.

Draco nodded his approval. Hermione grabbed her wand, which was stuck in her hair like a hair-pin, and waved it over his arm, murmuring a spell which could not be heard over the din. His arm seemed to lose the mark and looked like he had never been marked.

"Thanks, Lady Potter. I owe you one," he said.

"That's nothing, really, and I rather you call me Hermione."

Draco smiled his thanks as the lesson began in earnest.

After a through session of warming exercises, accompanied by multiple groans from almost every student present, the teacher let them swim leisurely for a few minutes before continuing the training. By now, most of the girls were feeling quite comfortable and the glances they were getting from the boys were causing many smiles and some giggles. The boys, who had been just as frightened at the beginning, were also more relaxed, even if their excitement at seeing all these naked girls was more visible.

The Evans twins, who had swum several lengths of the pool by then, got out of the water and walked around to talk with Hermione and Harry who were still in the water. Crouching down, not caring about exposing their most intimate parts, they talked a bit with the Potters and then dried themselves, put on their robes and left.

Harry noticed some of the boys commenting about the two young teachers. Neville was even approaching him, seeming intent on talking, but the Professor called them to order and continued the lesson.

Almost two hours later, when the group of exhausted youngsters stumbled out of the water, nobody seemed to care about the nudity. Everybody was only trying to catch their breath. Even Harry, who was believed to be quite fit, found out that he still had a long way to go to become really fit. Neville also proved to be in quite a good position, probably due to working a lot in the greenhouse and the garden at his family's home.

Tracy Davis, who plopped down near Harry looked at him and smiled. "Well done, Potter! I never thought you were so fit. Those loose clothes you used to wear were really hiding your assets."

"You also look very nice," he returned the compliment, making the girl blush slightly.

Nobody seemed to care about dressing in mixed company anymore. Some boys even helped the girls clasp their bras. Harry helped Hermione, of course, only to be surprised by Daphne Greengrass: "I can see you are already experienced. Will you help me with my bra?" She was just sliding the bra over her breasts. Seeing him turn towards her, she turned her back, letting him handle the clasp. Once done, she turned back, still arranging her damp breasts inside the bra, and said: "Thank you, Potter," before moving away again.

"Nudity seems to have broken some barriers," commented Hermione. Harry only smiled.

Dinner was quite welcome after the exhausting physical exercise. They were somewhat surprised when the headmistress rose at the end of the meal and addressed the hall: "The new indoor pool is open for you all to enjoy when no classes are using it. You may freely enjoy the pool each evening from dinner time till curfew. There will always be a staff member present to assure safety and appropriate behavior." She was already moving back to her seat when she remembered another point. "Oh – you don't need swimsuits for the pool. You are encouraged to swim nude, without any restricting clothes." She thought for a moment and then added: "No need to write home about this aspect of the pool. Some of your parents may not appreciate it." A thin smile appeared on her lips for just a second as many students looked quite overwhelmed.

None of the eighth year students took advantage of the pool that evening, but two days later it was Hermione's initiative to swim a bit. They found Professor Flitwick guarding the pool. He was actually sitting on several chairs piled one above the other and was reading a book. Hermione and Harry greeted him and then proceeded to the water.

They were not alone in the water. Neville was already there with Ginny and an angry looking Ron, whom Luna was trying to distract. More than ten younger students were also enjoying the pool, keeping their distance from the group of war heroes.

"Do you want me to relieve you?" they heard a familiar voice.

Professor McGonagall was approaching, wearing a bath-robe. Professor Flitwick was quick to take her offer and left immediately. Minerva took her time, tying her hair firmly before removing her robe and going into the water. All present gasped. Nobody ever expected to see the headmistress nude and then, nobody thought she would look so well without her clothes. The old lady's body was just as firm as her manners, with tight muscles, wrinkle-free skin and small breasts. She could give the young witches a run for their money when concerning their bodies.

She started swimming, heading towards the Potters. Harry was thankful for the deep water which made his headmistress' nudity less striking, allowing his eyes to stay on her face and not to roam downwards.

"Do you like the changes we made at school?" she asked them.

"Sure! The DADA professor seems to know his stuff well and seems to motivate his students. This pool is awesome and I can't be objective about my twin cousins…"

"I can, I hope," added Hermione. "They are really good. I didn't expect them to be, though I had no chance to learn about that aspect of their lives before."

"Didn't they tell you they were top of their class at Beauxbatons throughout their studies, much like you?"

Hermione blushed at the implied praise. "They didn't really tell us about their school years. We were more interested in their actions during the war and then we got into the wedding preparations."

Minerva sighed. "It's a pity they will only stay here for another month, as they really want to continue their engineering studies."

Both Potters seemed surprised. "They didn't tell us…"

"The teachers I contacted could not come on time, as they have to finish prior contracts. I was talking with them during your wedding and they were eager to help. I wasn't sure about them as they seemed to be just two nice girls with nothing to offer beyond good looks. I asked Madame Maxime about them. She praised them much more than I've ever heard her praise anybody. She told me about her frustration when she couldn't take them to the Triwizard tournament as they were a year too young and couldn't come to Britain as witches in any case."

"Who are the teachers they are temporarily replacing?" asked Harry.

"They are both American, just like your DADA teacher. They had taken research jobs last year, which are the cause for them not being available on time."

Minerva looked at the young couple. "Don't you want to swim some more? I find it invigorating. I also remember it used to make me quite horny when I was younger…"

They both blushed, but as Minerva started swimming, they joined her, swimming at her sided like a kind of honorary guard. Minerva swam at a steady pace. It wasn't fast, yet it started taxing the younger couple after a few lengths of the pool. Minerva noticed them lagging behind and slowed a bit to allow them to catch up. Once they reached the end of the pool, she stopped and sat on the pool's edge, making Harry swallow some water before sitting besides her, trying to keep his eyes at the other end of the pool.

"You seem to be in great shape," commented Hermione. "Care to tell us how you do it?"

Minerva smiled. She really hoped that her presence at the pool would inspire some of her students to get in better physical shape.

"I used to swim in the lake near my family's home when I was a child. The water there is always cold and I had to swim vigorously just to keep warm. It helped give me attractive shape during my teen years." She smiled reminiscing her youth.

"I then tried to keep in shape. I used to go to muggle swimming pool at winter and swam at the lake and the sea during summers. I even used the Prefect's bathroom for an occasional swim late at night."

"That does explain why you look so trim," Hermione commented.

"How come you are so free about… being nude?" Harry asked, blushing quite a bit.

"I was always nude when I swam at the lake as a child. There was nobody for miles around to see me, so it wasn't an issue at all. As a teen, I found it bothersome to wear anything in the water. I didn't care if anybody saw me – I was quite proud of my body. I found about the muggle Naturist organizations and joined one of their clubs. I only moved to another club a few years ago. It wasn't appropriate for muggles to find out that I was a member there for more than fifty years…"

"I believe there's an indoor swimming pool at Potter Manor. You're welcome to use it whenever you like." Harry was still feeling a bit uneasy about his Headmistress nudity, yet he was no longer averting his eyes purposefully. He noticed that Minerva was actually enjoying the admiring glances she was receiving from many of the students present, both male and female.

Harry and Hermione returned into the water a few minutes later. They both felt challenged by their teacher and were decisive to try and reach just that kind of physical fitness. Some other students seemed to get their courage up and talked with the Headmistress as well. She didn't seem to mind. She just talked with them as freely as if she was fully clothed.


	14. Chapter 14 Goodbyes

**20.10. 98 **

**Chapter 14: Goodbyes**

September flew by. Between their studies, their friends, and their time together, Hermione and Harry could hardly notice the passage of time. They used to spend three evenings at the pool and spend some time with the Evans twins each weekend. The eighth year students were not limited in their access to the external world and they usually visited Hogsmead every weekend and some even went much farther.

Iris used to meet George every weekend and Daphne traveled much farther, visiting Krum wherever his team happened to be at that time. Both twins seemed to be happy about their new relations, although none would agree to call the boy she fancied her boyfriend.

The morning post brought a letter for Ron:

"_Hi, little bro!_

_I've been informed that you are not paying enough attention during transfiguration lessons. I consider it a grave mistake. Besides the fact that your transfiguration teacher is a delight to look at, she is also a very accomplished witch, as I've found out. Many of the things we are selling at the shop are based on charms and transfiguration. I suggest you pay attention to these lessons and get the most out of them (Hermione would probably help you, if you ask nicely)._

_I wouldn't like to waste my next date hearing complaints about my brother. My time with Iris is never long enough and we always have much to talk about. You should also pay her utmost attention as she may eventually become your sister in law._

_Ginny complained about your behavior when any boy comes near her, especially at the pool. I know you find it hard when such a beautiful girl walks naked near you, yet you should trust her explicitly. She has already proven her worth in battle. She is threatening to curse your bits off if you continue to interfere. If you like your bits attached (and Luna surely would like them that way) you should leave her alone. I'm sure Neville's intentions towards her are at least as honorable as yours about Luna._

_Study well and have fun,_

_George."_

Ron frowned. "Bloody hell! Now George is mothering me as well!"

"Is it really so bad?" A small hand on his shoulder calmed him down. He turned around.

"Hi, Luna! I haven't noticed you coming."

"I arrived here when the owls came. George is right, you know…"

"Right?..."

"About your bits. I really like them, especially when you push them inside me…"

Ron's face turned redder than his hair. Luna just sat down at his side and smiled innocently at Harry and Hermione who were hardly holding their giggles. Trust Luna to make you happy, they thought.

Iris was also approaching their table. "A word with you, Mr. Weasley…"

Ron followed her aside for a short conversation, returning with even redder face.

"What did she tell you?" Luna asked.

"She suggested we use her quarters for our… meetings. She doesn't want to risk her future brother in law to be expelled for inappropriate behavior."

"Well…" Luna looked at him suggestively.

"She's going to class now for the whole morning. I only have class in two hours."

"My morning is free," Luna commented dreamily.

"Would you…"

"Let's go!" Luna grabbed his hand and led him out of the great hall.

It was their last weekend together with his cousins. Harry and Hermione spent as much time as possible with the twins. The new professors were due to arrive Sunday and the twins would leave the next day. Harry couldn't get enough of his new cousins, knowing it would be some time before they would meet again. Hermione was sure they would keep in touch, one way or another and would not let these new family ties deteriorate. There was really no reason for them not to visit each other even during school year. They could legally leave school during weekends and could freely apparate to wherever they wanted. They had even visited the Grangers for dinner two weeks earlier.

"I think we should take a swim after lunch," commented Daphne. "The pool at college is much smaller and not so nice…"

"…and swimsuits are mandatory," added Iris, making the other laugh.

They were not alone at the pool. Neville was already there along with Ginny. Ron arrived a bit later with Luna and stayed as far away from Ginny as the pool allowed. Ginny smirked and whispered something in Neville's ear, making him blush crimson. Lavender and Seamus were too busy snogging and groping at the far corner of the pool to notice anything.

The Potters and the Evans swam leisurely, chatting along, just enjoying being together.

"I will miss you, once we return to college," commented Daphne.

"I'll miss this pool as well," added Iris. "I'll really miss Hogwarts," she added as an afterthought.

"Why?" Harry wondered.

"Well… This is the first time I've been among British teen magicals. This is very different from the French. They are usually politer and seem to be much friendlier yet they don't really like strangers, as we were. Here it feels more like… home, really. We could be ourselves and not worry about representing our country or about obscure manners."

"And you could swim nude…" added Harry with a grin.

"Actually, Beauxbatons has a larger swimming pool and an outdoor pool as well – both strictly cloth free. Yet the French boys couldn't keep their distance…"

The new professors arrived late Sunday evening, escorted by the headmistress. They were given their own apartments in the teacher's wing. There were enough apartments there to easily allow doubling the teaching staff. The new teachers joined the twins on Monday lessons, being introduced to the classes and getting to know the school before receiving the full burden of their posts.

"I'd like you all to meet the new Muggle-Studies teacher – Professor Evans," Iris informed the class. Harry seemed bewildered while Hermione only smiled knowingly.

The new teacher stepped in front of the class. He looked a bit older – probably near thirty. Harry expected to hear American accent, yet the teacher had a perfect English accent. "My name is Mark Evans. I grew up in England and only moved to the States after graduation. As you may guess, I'm related to Miss Evans here – I'm actually her elder brother. Unlike her, I'm not magical. I'm completely 'muggle', as you call it."

"How can you even enter Hogwarts?" somebody asked.

"The headmistress may allow anybody in, enabling them to see Hogwarts in all its glory."

Harry was really curious how a muggle would feel at Hogwarts. He was also aching to get to know the new teacher as his cousin. He noticed Iris was actually hinting silently at him and Hermione to meet her after lunch.

Mark proved to be even more knowledgeable than Iris, being able to answer some difficult technical questions and helping the students understand more of the background of each muggle invention mentioned. He was even able to give Hermione some bits of information she had previously not been aware of.

Harry hurried through lunch, eager to meet his new cousin. Hermione followed suit with an understanding smile. Iris was waiting for them and walked them to the transfiguration classroom, where Daphne was waiting with Mark and another woman.

Daphne made the introductions. "Harry, Hermione – these are my brother Mark and his wife Sylvie. Sylvie and Mark – this is our famous cousin, Harry Potter, and his magnificent wife Hermione."

Mark shook their hands politely, yet Sylvie looked at them with awe. "I knew you were young, yet I didn't imagine you were so young…"

It took her a moment to calm down and shake their hands enthusiastically.

"You know, you shouldn't treat them any differently than the other students," commented Iris dryly.

"I know… Yet meeting a legendary hero in flesh and blood is not something I was ever thinking would happen to me," answered Sylvie, while Harry groaned internally 'Not another fan girl!' he thought.

They sat at a table to talk. It turned out Mark had met his wife at the university and had only discovered she was a witch shortly before their wedding, finding it somewhat ironic. Yet his academic achievements along with his connections in the magical world made him ideal for the position at Hogwarts. Sylvie had been the top student of her class at Salem Magical High-School and mastered Charms and Transfiguration before going to the university to round her education. The couple had been married for only a year and Mark was actually looking for an opportunity to return to England when he received Hogwart's offer.

Mark was quite amused at his wife's enthusiasm when meeting the Potters. He had known about Harry's history but hadn't really been interested until he learned he was going to meet him. His wife, on the other hand, learned about Harry as a child and then later as a youngster. While Mark had only thought of him as a distant relative whom he had never seen, for Sylvie he had been a great hero. Her reaction was expected, yet she was smart enough to notice that Harry didn't like being treated like an idol. A few minutes into the conversation she started talking to him just the way she would talk to her friends. Noticing he liked it much better.

They didn't have much time to spend together. "We'll meet again after dinner," suggested Iris, "but only briefly. We need to start our own studies tomorrow morning."

"How are you going to travel?" wondered Harry.

"Oh, that's simple…"

"…We shall apparate home, to Mum…"

"…Spend the night there…"

"…and drive to College tomorrow morning," they said.

"It's actually quite close to home. Only about twelve minutes ride with the car…"

"…or an hour using public transportation."

They had potions that afternoon. Although Professor Slughorn was very fond of the Potters, Harry was so distracted that the professor had to mildly reprimand him, making Harry blush in shame. He could hardly wait for dinner to be over before dragging a slightly annoyed yet slightly amused Hermione for another meeting with his cousins.

It was actually a "Goodbye" meetings. The twins had already packed and shrunk all their stuff. They were already wearing jeans and T-shirts looking just like two young girls. They kissed their brother on the cheeks and hugged him warmly and then repeated the same for his wife before proceeding to Harry.

"We shall see you both at Christmas. Dad intends to come as well and stay for a month or two," Daphne informed them.

"We will be there. You are also invited to visit us at Potter Manor," Harry replied.

"We will visit. We promise," both twins said.

They hugged Harry and kissed him, pressing their bodies into his just a bit more than necessary and winking at Hermione. They then hugged her as well before donning their overcoats and walking out to the apparition point beyond Hogwart's gates.

Both couples – the Potters and the Evans accompanied them to the gates and wished them success. The twins hugged them all once more and then stepped out and disappeared, not before saying "See you all at Christmas!"

"Yes, at Christmas," replied Harry, thinking of all the changes his merry cousins had brought to his life. He took Hermione's hand in his and walked back to the castle, along with Mark and Sylvie. They still had a lot to catch up to, but they had the rest of their lives to do it.

* * *

**Please Review!**

_**A/N:**_ I only intended this to be a short one or two shot story, yet it turned out to be much longer. I'm not really happy with the way it turned out, although I enjoyed writing it as well as reading it after long pauses, when trying to add another chapter. I hope you enjoyed it as well.

_About nudity_: I'm a firm believer in Naturism. I find the social and religious taboo about it quite absurd, Some Americans would even endorse films with extreme violence and blood-shed, but would shy away from any kind of nudity. I find violence disgusting while nudity is refreshing. It has nothing to do with sex (although sex is usually done nude). It is simply the way we are.


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